February 22 1992. I remember that day as if it was yesterday. I was up early as I had to rush to school to join 60 other schoolmates from Qhasana Senior Secondary School on a long journey by bus from Mdantsane’s NU16 to Sun City, North West.
The trip cost us nothing as schoolmate Jackie ‘The Pressure Cooker” Gunguluza paid for everything.
He so desperately wanted us there to cheer him on as he took what was widely regarded as a mammoth task in front of him – beating John John Molina to claim the vacant International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior-light title renounced by another SA great Brian Mitchell.
Inside the Carousel the exact opposite happened. Despite singing and shouting on top of our voices, Gunguluza could not take the punishment from the Puerto Rican and by the fourth round the fight was over. Imagine the long sad journey back home with some of us unable to control our emotions. It was one of my saddest journeys ever but it also helped germinate a boxing seed in me, which has grown into a fully blown bug.
As a young boy growing up in Mdantsane it was religious for any young boy to join a local boxing club. Unlike boys of our age from townships like Soweto and Mamelodi, we did not have football stars like Doctor Khumalo and Harris “TV 4” Chueu to idolise.
Welcome “Takom” (called as such in the township when some could not pronounce his first name) Ncitha, Gunguluza, Vuyani “Vido” (also known as such ekasi) Bungu and many others.
They became our idols because they lived among us. We watched them each morning jogging along the Qumza Highway all the way to Fort Jackson and back. They were our schoolmates and they were also our neighbours.
In fact I walked to and from school in a group which included one bright mini-flyweight Simpiwe Mfaniso whose promising career was sadly cut short by a ring injury.
Despite this huge boxing following fight fans have never had a publication dedicated to the sport.
Today that dream becomes a reality as we launch Boxing Mecca. Fight fans will converse with one another about the sport we love. This is the home of boxing and we will use it to introduce our boxers and the lives they lead outside of the ring. Follow me on twitter @Siqoko and this publication on @BoxingMecca_DD
Message from the editor
The trip cost us nothing as schoolmate Jackie ‘The Pressure Cooker” Gunguluza paid for everything.
He so desperately wanted us there to cheer him on as he took what was widely regarded as a mammoth task in front of him – beating John John Molina to claim the vacant International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior-light title renounced by another SA great Brian Mitchell.
Inside the Carousel the exact opposite happened. Despite singing and shouting on top of our voices, Gunguluza could not take the punishment from the Puerto Rican and by the fourth round the fight was over. Imagine the long sad journey back home with some of us unable to control our emotions. It was one of my saddest journeys ever but it also helped germinate a boxing seed in me, which has grown into a fully blown bug.
As a young boy growing up in Mdantsane it was religious for any young boy to join a local boxing club. Unlike boys of our age from townships like Soweto and Mamelodi, we did not have football stars like Doctor Khumalo and Harris “TV 4” Chueu to idolise.
Welcome “Takom” (called as such in the township when some could not pronounce his first name) Ncitha, Gunguluza, Vuyani “Vido” (also known as such ekasi) Bungu and many others.
They became our idols because they lived among us. We watched them each morning jogging along the Qumza Highway all the way to Fort Jackson and back. They were our schoolmates and they were also our neighbours.
In fact I walked to and from school in a group which included one bright mini-flyweight Simpiwe Mfaniso whose promising career was sadly cut short by a ring injury.
Despite this huge boxing following fight fans have never had a publication dedicated to the sport.
Today that dream becomes a reality as we launch Boxing Mecca. Fight fans will converse with one another about the sport we love. This is the home of boxing and we will use it to introduce our boxers and the lives they lead outside of the ring. Follow me on twitter @Siqoko and this publication on @BoxingMecca_DD
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