A MINOR flu contracted by IBO junior-featherweight champion Thabo Sonjica while in Johannesburg has prompted his management to let him travel to the city on Friday on the day of the weigh-in.
Sonjica from Duncan Village will make the second defence of his crown against Filipino Roli Gasca at Emperors Palace on Saturday.
The fight will form part of the Golden Gloves Promotion (GGP) tournament dubbed “Silver Salvo” headlined by the WBC silver light-heavyweight title clash between Ryno Liebenberg and Russian Denis Grachev.
Yesterday was the premedical of the fight but Sonjica was not present at Emperors Palace as he stayed home to wrap up his training programme. However, the left-handed boxer is understood to have been keen to be in Johannesburg as early as Monday to acclimatise.
But his camp feared that the change in climatic conditions could have adversely affected him as he has never fought in Johannesburg before.
His trainer Dokes Sikonyela confirmed that Sonjica contracted a bit of flu the last time he was in Johannesburg.
“We were scared that if we send him early his body might react negatively to the change of climate,” he said.
Now Sonjica will leave on Friday morning to be there for the official weigh-in before the fight the following day.
Boxers from the coast usually react negatively to the change in climatic conditions in Johannesburg which affect their performance.
However if a boxer leaves a day before the fight the change has no effect on their bodies and performance.
“It is either you leave for Johannesburg three weeks before to get used to the climate or a day before the fight,” says Siphatho Handi whose boxers have been fighting in Johannesburg with commendable success.
The 25-year-old Sonjica who avenged his only two losses in 21 bouts in his record against Macbute Sinyabi, is reportedly in weight training despite concerns that his body was growing too big for the junior-featherweight limit.
Soon after winning the IBO crown with a six-round stoppage of Filipino Silvester Lopez in July last year concerns about his continued campaign in the division began to surface.
However he showed no signs of a weight struggle in his one-round demolition of Toto Helebe this past June.
“Sonjica is comfortable in the junior-featherweight so that issue is no concern at all,” confirmed Sikonyela.
In Gasca Sonjica will face a former challenger of the title who lost to then unbeaten Russian Alexander Bakhtin who was once scheduled to fight Duncan Village fighter Simpiwe Vetyeka.
The Filipino also held useful Japanese Akifumi Shimoda to a draw in April last year.
However what is of particularly interest about the Filipino besides his four losses and a draw in 27 fights is his ring name of “Zuma”.
Sonjica takes no chances
Sonjica from Duncan Village will make the second defence of his crown against Filipino Roli Gasca at Emperors Palace on Saturday.
The fight will form part of the Golden Gloves Promotion (GGP) tournament dubbed “Silver Salvo” headlined by the WBC silver light-heavyweight title clash between Ryno Liebenberg and Russian Denis Grachev.
Yesterday was the premedical of the fight but Sonjica was not present at Emperors Palace as he stayed home to wrap up his training programme. However, the left-handed boxer is understood to have been keen to be in Johannesburg as early as Monday to acclimatise.
But his camp feared that the change in climatic conditions could have adversely affected him as he has never fought in Johannesburg before.
His trainer Dokes Sikonyela confirmed that Sonjica contracted a bit of flu the last time he was in Johannesburg.
“We were scared that if we send him early his body might react negatively to the change of climate,” he said.
Now Sonjica will leave on Friday morning to be there for the official weigh-in before the fight the following day.
Boxers from the coast usually react negatively to the change in climatic conditions in Johannesburg which affect their performance.
However if a boxer leaves a day before the fight the change has no effect on their bodies and performance.
“It is either you leave for Johannesburg three weeks before to get used to the climate or a day before the fight,” says Siphatho Handi whose boxers have been fighting in Johannesburg with commendable success.
The 25-year-old Sonjica who avenged his only two losses in 21 bouts in his record against Macbute Sinyabi, is reportedly in weight training despite concerns that his body was growing too big for the junior-featherweight limit.
Soon after winning the IBO crown with a six-round stoppage of Filipino Silvester Lopez in July last year concerns about his continued campaign in the division began to surface.
However he showed no signs of a weight struggle in his one-round demolition of Toto Helebe this past June.
“Sonjica is comfortable in the junior-featherweight so that issue is no concern at all,” confirmed Sikonyela.
In Gasca Sonjica will face a former challenger of the title who lost to then unbeaten Russian Alexander Bakhtin who was once scheduled to fight Duncan Village fighter Simpiwe Vetyeka.
The Filipino also held useful Japanese Akifumi Shimoda to a draw in April last year.
However what is of particularly interest about the Filipino besides his four losses and a draw in 27 fights is his ring name of “Zuma”.
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