It is fight week and already gamesmanship are gathering steam with muti allegations coming thick and fast ahead of tomorrow’s clash between Macbute Sinyabi and Azinga Fuzile.
The fight to be held at Orient Theatre, will see Sinyabi bidding for the first defence of his SA featherweight title against a boxer who has fought a fraction of his bouts.
The 20-year-old, who has fought only four times compared to Sinyabi’s 33 bouts, stands on the verge of history if he beats Sinyabi as he will break Vic Toweel’s record of winning a national title in the least number of fights.
And since their radio interview barbs the handlers of the two fighters are said to have delved into every possible way to win, including enlisting strong muti men.
One concerned fan who is close to the Sinyabi camp came to Daily Dispatch to express his fears over the blatant claims of one of Sinyabi’s assistant trainer that he will use a strong muti.
Besides the claims similar allegations are also flying thick and fast in social media with one fan saying Fuzile will only see boxing boots on Friday.
Fuzile’s trainer Mzamo Njekanye confirmed that the reports have been whispered to him.
“Yes, I have been hearing these reports but I am interpreting them as just gamesmanship,” he said.
“Perhaps they realise that chances of winning are next to nothing and now they are using every trick in the book to intimidate us.”
Njekanye said he brushed the claims aside even though he admitted that they could be substantive due to the prevalent use of muti in boxing.
Muti use is as old as boxing with several unproven allegations coming from legendary boxers.
For instance, Nkosinathi Joyi’s older brother Themba never boxed again after he was allegedly a muti victim in his SA junior bantamweight title loss to Duncan Village’s Unathi Gqokoma.
Themba could not walk after his 10th round stoppage defeat while veteran Mdantsane boxer Ali Funeka also claimed muti use in his IBO world welterweight title fight defeat by Limpopo’s Tsiko Mulovhedzi last year.
Sinyabi’s trainer Dowie Mzini first joked that the camp was doing everything possible to win.
“We are facing a firestorm so we need to do everything possible,” he said.
But when pressed to come out and say if the camp is indeed using muti, he changed his tune to say: “ I do not even believe in such stuff.”
When asked what he meant when he said the camp would do everything possible to win he replied: “ I mean we have trained very hard for this fight and we have done everything possible to win. Mabhuti is ready in all departments but if we are now talking about muti then the competitive nature of the sport flies out of the window and it does not become sport anymore.”
Top fighters’ camps pour cold water on muti claims
The fight to be held at Orient Theatre, will see Sinyabi bidding for the first defence of his SA featherweight title against a boxer who has fought a fraction of his bouts.
The 20-year-old, who has fought only four times compared to Sinyabi’s 33 bouts, stands on the verge of history if he beats Sinyabi as he will break Vic Toweel’s record of winning a national title in the least number of fights.
And since their radio interview barbs the handlers of the two fighters are said to have delved into every possible way to win, including enlisting strong muti men.
One concerned fan who is close to the Sinyabi camp came to Daily Dispatch to express his fears over the blatant claims of one of Sinyabi’s assistant trainer that he will use a strong muti.
Besides the claims similar allegations are also flying thick and fast in social media with one fan saying Fuzile will only see boxing boots on Friday.
Fuzile’s trainer Mzamo Njekanye confirmed that the reports have been whispered to him.
“Yes, I have been hearing these reports but I am interpreting them as just gamesmanship,” he said.
“Perhaps they realise that chances of winning are next to nothing and now they are using every trick in the book to intimidate us.”
Njekanye said he brushed the claims aside even though he admitted that they could be substantive due to the prevalent use of muti in boxing.
Muti use is as old as boxing with several unproven allegations coming from legendary boxers.
For instance, Nkosinathi Joyi’s older brother Themba never boxed again after he was allegedly a muti victim in his SA junior bantamweight title loss to Duncan Village’s Unathi Gqokoma.
Themba could not walk after his 10th round stoppage defeat while veteran Mdantsane boxer Ali Funeka also claimed muti use in his IBO world welterweight title fight defeat by Limpopo’s Tsiko Mulovhedzi last year.
Sinyabi’s trainer Dowie Mzini first joked that the camp was doing everything possible to win.
“We are facing a firestorm so we need to do everything possible,” he said.
But when pressed to come out and say if the camp is indeed using muti, he changed his tune to say: “ I do not even believe in such stuff.”
When asked what he meant when he said the camp would do everything possible to win he replied: “ I mean we have trained very hard for this fight and we have done everything possible to win. Mabhuti is ready in all departments but if we are now talking about muti then the competitive nature of the sport flies out of the window and it does not become sport anymore.”
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