Talented Mdantsane boxer Makazole Tete has severed his ties with long time manager Mla Tengimfene.
Tete dropped the bombshell yesterday just a day before his two-year pact with Tengimfene was due to expire today.
The pair has worked together since Makazole and his younger brother Zolani left Nick Durandt’s stable in Johannesburg three years ago.
Since the partnership, the Tete brothers have scaled the boxing heights with the younger sibling winning the IBF world junior bantamweight crown and defending it in spectacular fashion by beating previously unbeaten English star Paul Butler with an eight-round knockout in March last year.
On the other hand, Makazole also registered important wins to breath life into his career which had appeared stagnant.
He won the SA flyweight crown, the WBA Pan African flyweight diadem culminating in challenging for the IBO junior bantamweight crown of Gideon Buthelezi who beat him on points in his lone defeat in 16 bouts.
However, while Zolani’s success has been down to Tengimfene, Makazole arguably achieved his feat under the astute promotional manoeuvring of Ayanda Matiti under whose promotion he is contracted.
Matiti and Tengimfene have not been seeing eye to eye leading to Makazole finding himself caught in the crossfire.
The boxer admitted that the standoff between his handlers had influenced his decision not to renew the managerial pact with Tengimfene.
“You know, this thing between my handlers is not sitting well with me because both have done a lot for my career,” he said.
“I have asked them to iron out their differences but so far nothing has happened hence I took this decision not to renew my contract with my manager. There is nothing personal about this decision but I cannot be put in a situation where I will have to choose.”
The tiff between Matiti and Tengimfene saw Makazole temporarily returning to the Tengimfene-managed All Winners Boxing Club whose chief trainer is former Boxing SA boss Loyiso Mtya.
This after the boxer had left the club to join Dowie Mzini who trains Matiti-promoted boxers.
But after his disappointing loss to Buthelezi, Makazole whose stay at Mzini’s gym had negatively affected his career, decided to return home, but just.
However, Matiti enlisted the services of former world champion Vuyani Bungu to train the boxer.
Tengimfene confirmed that the pact with Makazole had not been renewed.
“I do not know why but I guess it has to do with his promoter,” while Matiti said he had not played a role in the impasse.
It is yet to be known if Makazole will be able to fight under the promotion of his sibling Last Born Promotions as Tengimfene had hoped.
This especially as Zolani is now fighting under English promoter Frank Warren.
Asked about the possibility, Makazole said: “I am hoping my promoter would release me to fight some of my fights under my brother’s promotion because it is a family business.”
Tengimfene said his plans for Makazole was for him to follow in the footsteps of his younger brother and capitalise on the popularity he is getting in England.
Tete, manager parting ways after row
Tete dropped the bombshell yesterday just a day before his two-year pact with Tengimfene was due to expire today.
The pair has worked together since Makazole and his younger brother Zolani left Nick Durandt’s stable in Johannesburg three years ago.
Since the partnership, the Tete brothers have scaled the boxing heights with the younger sibling winning the IBF world junior bantamweight crown and defending it in spectacular fashion by beating previously unbeaten English star Paul Butler with an eight-round knockout in March last year.
On the other hand, Makazole also registered important wins to breath life into his career which had appeared stagnant.
He won the SA flyweight crown, the WBA Pan African flyweight diadem culminating in challenging for the IBO junior bantamweight crown of Gideon Buthelezi who beat him on points in his lone defeat in 16 bouts.
However, while Zolani’s success has been down to Tengimfene, Makazole arguably achieved his feat under the astute promotional manoeuvring of Ayanda Matiti under whose promotion he is contracted.
Matiti and Tengimfene have not been seeing eye to eye leading to Makazole finding himself caught in the crossfire.
The boxer admitted that the standoff between his handlers had influenced his decision not to renew the managerial pact with Tengimfene.
“You know, this thing between my handlers is not sitting well with me because both have done a lot for my career,” he said.
“I have asked them to iron out their differences but so far nothing has happened hence I took this decision not to renew my contract with my manager. There is nothing personal about this decision but I cannot be put in a situation where I will have to choose.”
The tiff between Matiti and Tengimfene saw Makazole temporarily returning to the Tengimfene-managed All Winners Boxing Club whose chief trainer is former Boxing SA boss Loyiso Mtya.
This after the boxer had left the club to join Dowie Mzini who trains Matiti-promoted boxers.
But after his disappointing loss to Buthelezi, Makazole whose stay at Mzini’s gym had negatively affected his career, decided to return home, but just.
However, Matiti enlisted the services of former world champion Vuyani Bungu to train the boxer.
Tengimfene confirmed that the pact with Makazole had not been renewed.
“I do not know why but I guess it has to do with his promoter,” while Matiti said he had not played a role in the impasse.
It is yet to be known if Makazole will be able to fight under the promotion of his sibling Last Born Promotions as Tengimfene had hoped.
This especially as Zolani is now fighting under English promoter Frank Warren.
Asked about the possibility, Makazole said: “I am hoping my promoter would release me to fight some of my fights under my brother’s promotion because it is a family business.”
Tengimfene said his plans for Makazole was for him to follow in the footsteps of his younger brother and capitalise on the popularity he is getting in England.
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