NO ONE was more confident of Simpiwe Vetyeka’s potential than his childhood trainer Andile Champion Bakubaku.
Long before the Duncan Village boxer won three WBA world titles – the biggest being the one he snatched from Indonesian legend Chris John in December – Bakubaku had great confidence in the handsome-looking exponent even when his colleagues doubted him. It was easy to understand the apathy displayed towards Vetyeka, in that while his talent could not be questioned, his dedication and commitment left much to be desired.
So when the unbeaten star got the green light to challenge then Mdantsane hero Khulile Makheba, who had relocated to Johannesburg together with then-trainer Loyiso Mtya, who now is acting chief executive of Boxing SA, Eyethu gymnasium boss Mzi Mnguni did not even bother to be present during the preparations for the fight.
“Bra Mzi left everything to me and he and Siphatho Handi instead went to Cape Town for a holiday,” recalls Bakubaku.
“I was left to prepare Vetyeka with assistant trainer Clay Gubevu.”
Not only was Vetyeka dismissed as a no-hoper against southpaw, Makheba, who had captured the SA bantamweight crown with an explosive 10th round knockout of Cedric Conway, Mtya had no problem accepting Vetyeka’s challenge even when Makheba was entitled to a voluntary defence. While Vetyeka ‘s challenge was mandatory, Makheba could have refused to fight him and take on an easier foe as he was still in his voluntary defence window.
And the one-sided hammering Vetyeka administered on Makheba made people sit up and take notice.
“Vetyeka needed special attention then he would perform for you,’ Bakubaku said.
Like almost all boxers, Vetyeka would camp outside waiting for a little cash from his handlers.
“Mzi used to be fed up with boxers who constantly asked for money but I would give him the little I had and my relationship with Vetyeka improved in leaps and bounds.”
Indeed Vetyeka’s love for money saw him leaving Eyethu to briefly team up with Handi’s newly-opened gymnasium before leaving for Johannesburg where he hopped from one stable to the other, before settling at trainer Nick Durandt’s club.
It was here that his career flourished as he saw off nine challengers before taking off once again to reunite with Vuyani Bungu who had been installed as the chief trainer of Butityi Konki’s new stable.
Together with Bungu, Vetyeka claimed his first world title, when he beat Filipino Eric Barcelona for the IBO bantamweight crown.
But Konki had a major fallout with Rodney Berman who had staged the fight, leading to Vetyeka being subjected to long spells of inactivity and being stripped of his IBO title.
Vetyeka returned to Durandt and together they travelled to Indonesia in April last year, to topple that country’s second-ranked boxer Daud Yordan, to win the IBO featherweight crown. Vetyeka then returned home to work with Andile Sidinile and was reunited with Bungu for the third time. With Bungu and Boy Boy Mpulampula pulling the strings, the 33-year-old achieved his biggest boxing feat when he sensationally inflicted the first defeat on previously unbeaten Indonesian legend Chris John to take the WBA crown in December. Now he makes the first defence of his crown against Filipino Nonito Donaire in Macau on May 31.
While he is the champion, Vetyeka will be treated as the challenger as Donaire commands much more stature in terms of his accomplishments in the ring. But that does not bother him at all. “He could be the big name and all that but the bottom line is ndimnyolile (I chose to defend against him),” Vetyeka says.
Vetyeka will come out punching again
Long before the Duncan Village boxer won three WBA world titles – the biggest being the one he snatched from Indonesian legend Chris John in December – Bakubaku had great confidence in the handsome-looking exponent even when his colleagues doubted him. It was easy to understand the apathy displayed towards Vetyeka, in that while his talent could not be questioned, his dedication and commitment left much to be desired.
So when the unbeaten star got the green light to challenge then Mdantsane hero Khulile Makheba, who had relocated to Johannesburg together with then-trainer Loyiso Mtya, who now is acting chief executive of Boxing SA, Eyethu gymnasium boss Mzi Mnguni did not even bother to be present during the preparations for the fight.
“Bra Mzi left everything to me and he and Siphatho Handi instead went to Cape Town for a holiday,” recalls Bakubaku.
“I was left to prepare Vetyeka with assistant trainer Clay Gubevu.”
Not only was Vetyeka dismissed as a no-hoper against southpaw, Makheba, who had captured the SA bantamweight crown with an explosive 10th round knockout of Cedric Conway, Mtya had no problem accepting Vetyeka’s challenge even when Makheba was entitled to a voluntary defence. While Vetyeka ‘s challenge was mandatory, Makheba could have refused to fight him and take on an easier foe as he was still in his voluntary defence window.
And the one-sided hammering Vetyeka administered on Makheba made people sit up and take notice.
“Vetyeka needed special attention then he would perform for you,’ Bakubaku said.
Like almost all boxers, Vetyeka would camp outside waiting for a little cash from his handlers.
“Mzi used to be fed up with boxers who constantly asked for money but I would give him the little I had and my relationship with Vetyeka improved in leaps and bounds.”
Indeed Vetyeka’s love for money saw him leaving Eyethu to briefly team up with Handi’s newly-opened gymnasium before leaving for Johannesburg where he hopped from one stable to the other, before settling at trainer Nick Durandt’s club.
It was here that his career flourished as he saw off nine challengers before taking off once again to reunite with Vuyani Bungu who had been installed as the chief trainer of Butityi Konki’s new stable.
Together with Bungu, Vetyeka claimed his first world title, when he beat Filipino Eric Barcelona for the IBO bantamweight crown.
But Konki had a major fallout with Rodney Berman who had staged the fight, leading to Vetyeka being subjected to long spells of inactivity and being stripped of his IBO title.
Vetyeka returned to Durandt and together they travelled to Indonesia in April last year, to topple that country’s second-ranked boxer Daud Yordan, to win the IBO featherweight crown. Vetyeka then returned home to work with Andile Sidinile and was reunited with Bungu for the third time. With Bungu and Boy Boy Mpulampula pulling the strings, the 33-year-old achieved his biggest boxing feat when he sensationally inflicted the first defeat on previously unbeaten Indonesian legend Chris John to take the WBA crown in December. Now he makes the first defence of his crown against Filipino Nonito Donaire in Macau on May 31.
While he is the champion, Vetyeka will be treated as the challenger as Donaire commands much more stature in terms of his accomplishments in the ring. But that does not bother him at all. “He could be the big name and all that but the bottom line is ndimnyolile (I chose to defend against him),” Vetyeka says.
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