The boxing world reacted with a collective shock at the death of revered boxing trainer Nick Durandt at the weekend.
Durandt, a large than life persona, died in a motorbike accident in Bloemfontein.
His passing came four months shy of receiving the Lifetime Achievement award at the national boxing awards in January in Durban.
While Durandt was based in Johannesburg, his work regularly took him to East London where he had eventful interaction with the local boxing scene.
With some accusing him of poaching their boxers when the majority of local fighters left to train at his gym in Johannesburg, Durandt, a self- proclaimed “Mthakathi”, was seen in East London here as enemy number one by those who felt his presence.
His regular visit to East London with the boxers he had allegedly poached often exploded into confrontation with local boxing stakeholders.
Ailing promoter Mzi Mnguni, who lost the majority of his boxers to Durandt, was his biggest foe with the pair at times coming close to exchanging blows.
The boxers Mnguni lost to Durandt included Masibulele “Hawk” Makepula, Mhikiza Myekeni, Macbute Sinyabi and his brotherborther Sizwe, Zolani Tete and his brother Makazole, Simpiwe Vetyeka and his namesake Nongqayi, just to mention but a few.
The departure of Macbute from Mnguni’s stable him to join Durandt led to a bitter court battle waged at the Bhisho High Court where Sinyabi, with the assistance of Durandt, challenged the promotional contract which Mnguni wanted to enforce.
Sinyabi eventually won the fight in a case which made history as the first boxing related one to be decided by a the high court judge.
There was also an incident when Mnguni refused to pay an extra flight ticket for Durandt’s entourage accompanying Benedict Dlamini who was to challenge Mnguni-promoted Irvin Buhlalu for the SA lightweight crown at the Orient Theatre in 2007.
With KwaZulu-Natal born but East London-based Buhlalu having escaped via a highly disputed and razor-thin decision over Dlamini in Durban, the stage was set for a grudge match which filtered down to their handlers.
After entering the ring with Dlamini, Durandt spotted Mnguni on the ring apron and immediately drew out a R100 note and waved it to Mnguni to apparently mock him that he did not need his money.
In retaliation Mnguni took out his own note and pretended to wipe his backside with it to insinuate that Durandt should go and use the note in the toilet.
What ensued was a war of attrition with Buhlalu even opting to quit midway through the fight only to be forced by his handlers to continue en route to a points decision.
In the post fight interview with this scribe, Durandt slammed Buhlalu as a bum which sparked off sparking a melee from the Mnguni camp which had overheard the remark.
Recalling about his confrontation with Durandt, Mnguni lauded the mane trainer for standing up for his boxers.
“Nick was a true warrior and that filtered down to his boxers,” he Mnguni said.
Despite their numerous head butts, Mnguni and Durandt reconciled and worked together to promote Lusanda Komanisi who was under the Johannesburg trainer’s tutelage.
The friendship between the two intensified during Mnguni’s illness with Durandt being one of his the well- wishers, proving the boxing adage that boxing personalities have has no permanent enemies.
Boxing SA-Eastern Cape manager Phakamile Jacobs remembered Durandt as a forceful individual who always demanded impartiality for his boxers before their bouts in East London.
“I knew that when Nick was coming down here I needed to make sure that I familiarise myself with the rules otherwise I would end up agreeing to everything he said,” Jacobs said.
Boxing legend Vuyani Bungu also had a taste of Durandt’s wrath after his charge Zolani Tete had lost to Moruthi Mthalane for the IBF flyweight title at Carnival City in 2010.
After the fight had been stopped in the fifth round for Mthalane to retain his crown, Durandt charged to the opposite corner to confront Bungu, demanding him to repeat his pre-fight predictions.
The pair were separated and Durandt later apologised for his actions in the post-fight press conference.
Tete’s manager Mla Tengimfene, who was part of Durandt’s cheer-leading team, attributed to his boxing success as a manager to him.
“I am not ashamed to say Nick taught me a lot and almost everything I have achieved is due to him,” Tengimfene said from England where Tete won the WBO interim bantamweight title.
Tete dedicated his win of the title he achieved when beating Filipino Arthur Villanueva to Durandt. He also attributed ing part of his boxing acumen to the late mane trainer.
The abiding image of the white Durandt clad in his colourful regalia among a sea e of black bodies was a magnificent one.
Eastern Cape salutes ‘a true warrior’
Durandt, a large than life persona, died in a motorbike accident in Bloemfontein.
His passing came four months shy of receiving the Lifetime Achievement award at the national boxing awards in January in Durban.
While Durandt was based in Johannesburg, his work regularly took him to East London where he had eventful interaction with the local boxing scene.
With some accusing him of poaching their boxers when the majority of local fighters left to train at his gym in Johannesburg, Durandt, a self- proclaimed “Mthakathi”, was seen in East London here as enemy number one by those who felt his presence.
His regular visit to East London with the boxers he had allegedly poached often exploded into confrontation with local boxing stakeholders.
Ailing promoter Mzi Mnguni, who lost the majority of his boxers to Durandt, was his biggest foe with the pair at times coming close to exchanging blows.
The boxers Mnguni lost to Durandt included Masibulele “Hawk” Makepula, Mhikiza Myekeni, Macbute Sinyabi and his brotherborther Sizwe, Zolani Tete and his brother Makazole, Simpiwe Vetyeka and his namesake Nongqayi, just to mention but a few.
The departure of Macbute from Mnguni’s stable him to join Durandt led to a bitter court battle waged at the Bhisho High Court where Sinyabi, with the assistance of Durandt, challenged the promotional contract which Mnguni wanted to enforce.
Sinyabi eventually won the fight in a case which made history as the first boxing related one to be decided by a the high court judge.
There was also an incident when Mnguni refused to pay an extra flight ticket for Durandt’s entourage accompanying Benedict Dlamini who was to challenge Mnguni-promoted Irvin Buhlalu for the SA lightweight crown at the Orient Theatre in 2007.
With KwaZulu-Natal born but East London-based Buhlalu having escaped via a highly disputed and razor-thin decision over Dlamini in Durban, the stage was set for a grudge match which filtered down to their handlers.
After entering the ring with Dlamini, Durandt spotted Mnguni on the ring apron and immediately drew out a R100 note and waved it to Mnguni to apparently mock him that he did not need his money.
In retaliation Mnguni took out his own note and pretended to wipe his backside with it to insinuate that Durandt should go and use the note in the toilet.
What ensued was a war of attrition with Buhlalu even opting to quit midway through the fight only to be forced by his handlers to continue en route to a points decision.
In the post fight interview with this scribe, Durandt slammed Buhlalu as a bum which sparked off sparking a melee from the Mnguni camp which had overheard the remark.
Recalling about his confrontation with Durandt, Mnguni lauded the mane trainer for standing up for his boxers.
“Nick was a true warrior and that filtered down to his boxers,” he Mnguni said.
Despite their numerous head butts, Mnguni and Durandt reconciled and worked together to promote Lusanda Komanisi who was under the Johannesburg trainer’s tutelage.
The friendship between the two intensified during Mnguni’s illness with Durandt being one of his the well- wishers, proving the boxing adage that boxing personalities have has no permanent enemies.
Boxing SA-Eastern Cape manager Phakamile Jacobs remembered Durandt as a forceful individual who always demanded impartiality for his boxers before their bouts in East London.
“I knew that when Nick was coming down here I needed to make sure that I familiarise myself with the rules otherwise I would end up agreeing to everything he said,” Jacobs said.
Boxing legend Vuyani Bungu also had a taste of Durandt’s wrath after his charge Zolani Tete had lost to Moruthi Mthalane for the IBF flyweight title at Carnival City in 2010.
After the fight had been stopped in the fifth round for Mthalane to retain his crown, Durandt charged to the opposite corner to confront Bungu, demanding him to repeat his pre-fight predictions.
The pair were separated and Durandt later apologised for his actions in the post-fight press conference.
Tete’s manager Mla Tengimfene, who was part of Durandt’s cheer-leading team, attributed to his boxing success as a manager to him.
“I am not ashamed to say Nick taught me a lot and almost everything I have achieved is due to him,” Tengimfene said from England where Tete won the WBO interim bantamweight title.
Tete dedicated his win of the title he achieved when beating Filipino Arthur Villanueva to Durandt. He also attributed ing part of his boxing acumen to the late mane trainer.
The abiding image of the white Durandt clad in his colourful regalia among a sea e of black bodies was a magnificent one.
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