Tom’s future in balance

THE approval of Simpiwe Tom to engage in a SA featherweight title eliminator just two fights after his near-tragic knockout defeat by Sabelo Jubatha, raised eyebrows following his frightening beating by Lusanda Komanisi at the weekend.

Tom was mercilessly battered by Jubatha until the one-sided slaughter was halted in the fourth round in an SA title challenge at East London’s Orient Theatre in December 2011.

He subsequently collapsed in the ring and left on a stretcher.

And while he was lucky to recover and resume his boxing career, one feels that Boxing SA should have given him a cooling off period after taking such a beating.

His defeat by Jubatha came on the heels of his second round knockout by Matima Molefe, although an argument can be made that he did not suffer serious injury in that fight as he was knocked out with a single punch compared to the sustained beating by Jubatha.

After beating a nondescript opponent in Cape Town, Tom followed that up with a win over rated Lusanda Jacobs whose rating was questionable in the first place.

Nonetheless the win suddenly jumped him into title contention to qualify him for the title eliminator.

Asked how Tom was thrown into a title contention following the near-tragic defeat by Jubatha, BSA director of operations Loyiso Mtya said Tom beat a rated boxer in Jacobs and subsequently qualified for an eliminator.

“In fact his people wanted him to go straight to a title challenge but I stood my ground and said he must first go via the elimination route,” said Mtya.

There is a strong perception that Tom got the nod because of the influence of a certain board member who is part of the rating committee member.

Mtya played down the perception, insisting the only criteria used to rate boxers is when a boxer beats a rated opponent regardless of how the opponent got in the ratings in the first place.

And on Sunday at Mdantsane Indoor Centre, Tom clearly had not fully recovered from the beating he took from Jubatha as he staggered around the ring from a simple Komanisi jab.

Komanisi would stand his ground and allow Tom to throw his best punches and took them without flinching.

And when Komanisi opened up with his own punches , he would wobble Tom so bad that by the first round Tom’s eye was already swelling badly.

As early as the second round the fight had long stopped being a competitive affair with the crowd already screaming for the carnage to be brought to an end.

Komanisi, who is not nicknamed “Sidubulangaye” (we use him to shoot) for nothing, is a hard-punching monster with 12 of his 13 opponents unable to withstand his power.

After bludgeoning Tom from pillar to post, Komanisi’s trainer Nick Durandt looked at Tom’s corner and shook his head in an apparent plea to save their boy from the brutality.

And indeed shortly after taking two more hard shots, Tom’s corner threw in the towel in the fourth round.

Mtya, who was not at the fight, confirmed to have received the report from fight supervisor Phakamile Jacobs of what happened.

And on hearing more from this scribe of what really played down, Mtya promised that he would push for Tom to be given a lengthy cooling off period.

“I don’t want to pre-empt what will happen but the health of boxers is our primary concern so we might even suspend his licence if what you telling me is anything to go by,” said Mtya.

Komanisi will now face Nkosana Sobethu for the final eliminator which Mtya said will be over 12 rounds. The winner will challenge champion Aphiwe Mboyiya.