WHILE every one has been indulging in Christmas goodies, Mdantsane boxer Nkosinathi “Mabhere” Joyi is hard at training preparing for the IBO junior flyweight title clash against Filipino Rey Loreto at Monte Carlo in Monaco, France on February 1.
Joyi left East London just two days before Christmas to join Johannesburg trainer Gert Strydom to intensify his preparations for the fight.
The popular southpaw is now hard at training with Strydom following his split with long time mentor Boy Boy Mpulampula late last year.
Joyi’s business manager Siphatho Handi says the fighter is in the best shape of his life and cannot wait to take on Loreto and claim another world title.
Joyi is the former IBF and IBO minimumweight champion, having vacated the IBO to pursue the more lucrative IBF strap which he surrendered via a shocking seven rounds defeat by unheralded Mexican Mario Rodriguez in September 2012.
He eventually severed ties with his promoter Branco Milenkovic who had taken him to the IBF title.
Now Joyi has reunited with Rodney Berman and since they teamed up again last June, he has been kept very active with his February 1 clash his third bout in 13 months.
That is in contrast to long spells of inactivity that blighted his career and hugely contributed to his defeat by Rodriguez.
Handi says plans are already afoot for the little dynamo to challenge for the WBA interim title sometime in April.
With IBO having developed close working relations with the WBA, Joyi’s challenge of the Panama-based world body will not be impossible.
Nothing is really known about Loreto besides the fact that like Joyi he is a left hander.
“He is a tall southpaw but other than that there is nothing special about him,” Handi says.
Joyi will enter the ring with a psychological advantage as he knocked out Benezer Alolod who beat Loreto via a technical decision in March last year.
The Filipino’s fight record shows 13 losses with just 17 wins in 30 bouts while Joyi has two defeats in 26 bouts.
But at 23 years old the Filipino will enter the ring as the fresher and younger fighter over Joyi who is 31 years old.
Joyi and his team will leave for France on January 26.
IBO title focus as Joyi prepares
Joyi left East London just two days before Christmas to join Johannesburg trainer Gert Strydom to intensify his preparations for the fight.
The popular southpaw is now hard at training with Strydom following his split with long time mentor Boy Boy Mpulampula late last year.
Joyi’s business manager Siphatho Handi says the fighter is in the best shape of his life and cannot wait to take on Loreto and claim another world title.
Joyi is the former IBF and IBO minimumweight champion, having vacated the IBO to pursue the more lucrative IBF strap which he surrendered via a shocking seven rounds defeat by unheralded Mexican Mario Rodriguez in September 2012.
He eventually severed ties with his promoter Branco Milenkovic who had taken him to the IBF title.
Now Joyi has reunited with Rodney Berman and since they teamed up again last June, he has been kept very active with his February 1 clash his third bout in 13 months.
That is in contrast to long spells of inactivity that blighted his career and hugely contributed to his defeat by Rodriguez.
Handi says plans are already afoot for the little dynamo to challenge for the WBA interim title sometime in April.
With IBO having developed close working relations with the WBA, Joyi’s challenge of the Panama-based world body will not be impossible.
Nothing is really known about Loreto besides the fact that like Joyi he is a left hander.
“He is a tall southpaw but other than that there is nothing special about him,” Handi says.
Joyi will enter the ring with a psychological advantage as he knocked out Benezer Alolod who beat Loreto via a technical decision in March last year.
The Filipino’s fight record shows 13 losses with just 17 wins in 30 bouts while Joyi has two defeats in 26 bouts.
But at 23 years old the Filipino will enter the ring as the fresher and younger fighter over Joyi who is 31 years old.
Joyi and his team will leave for France on January 26.
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