DUNCAN Village boxer Simpiwe Vetyeka has described his victory over Indonesian sporting legend Chris John as the biggest moment of his life.
Vetyeka caused the huge upset when he forced John to quit between rounds six and seven in their historic WBA/IBO featherweight title unification clash at Metro City in Perth, Australia, on Friday.
By winning the fight Vetyeka snapped John’s unbeaten record of 51 fights and 10 years as the WBA champion.
John was attempting to equal Panamanian legend Eusebio Pedroza’s 19 WBA featherweight title defences.
However the 32-year-old Duncan Villager would have none of it as he attacked John from the first round, dropping him twice but he was denied the knockdowns when the referee ruled the falls as slips.
But Vetyeka, who went into the ring determined to win the fight in honour of former president Nelson Mandela who died a day earlier, did not let the referee deter him.
He dropped John again in the fifth round and a merciless pounding in the following round forced the 34-year-old Indonesian to quit in his corner. Vetyeka later dedicated his victory to Mandela.
“Madiba is my hero and when I heard the sad news of his passing I was determined more than ever to win this fight in his honour,” Vetyeka said.
The win should rate as one of the biggest moments in national boxing history and is up there with Vuyani Bungu’s shock win over previously unbeaten Kennedy McKinney to take the IBF junior featherweight title in 1994.
Ironically Bungu was inspired by Mandela to achieve the victory and was also in Vetyeka’s corner when another boxing milestone involving an Eastern Cape boxer was achieved.
Vetyeka’s manager Andile Sidinile who had been predicting a victory for his charge despite the almost impossible task of having to become the first boxer to beat John, said he felt vindicated.
Among his victories John has beaten Mexican legend Juan Manuel Marquez who knocked out boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao in December last year.
But Sidinile detected a slippage in John’s boxing makeup.
“This is not the time to say I told you so, but I have been telling those who cared to listen if there was ever a time to beat John it was this one,” he said.
“We studied John and had a perfect game plan of breaking him down with body punches.”
Sidinile bemoaned the controversial manner in which the referee Gustavo Padilla from Panama handled the fight.
“He wanted to protect John at all costs because he twice refused to count when John had been floored by legitimate blows. But we told Vetyeka to be patient and stick to the game plan. We knew the referee could do anything but he could not prevent Vetyeka from throwing his punches.”
Vetyeka becomes the first South African boxer to be a unified champion and Sidinile is in negotiations with the WBA to let Vetyeka assume the “super” champion status John held before the fight.
Sidinile dismissed reports the IBO title was not at stake as Vetyeka did not enter the ring with the belt.
“Yes, IBO president Ed Levine was livid by the fact we entered the ring without the IBO belt but we told him to get answers from Nick (Durandt).”
Vetyeka dumped Durandt to team up with Bungu and the Johannesburg trainer refused to give Vetyeka his IBO belt until the fighter paid him money he allegedly owes him.
The win stretched Vetyeka’s record to 26 wins with 16 stoppages against only two losses.
lMeanwhile Qumbu-born Capetonian Mzonke Fana lost a unanimous points decision to unbeaten Finnish fighter Edis Tatli for the WBA Intercontinental lightweight title at Borona Arena in Espoo, Finland, at the weekend.
The scores were 118-110 and 117-111 for Tatli.
Vetyeka dethrones John
Vetyeka caused the huge upset when he forced John to quit between rounds six and seven in their historic WBA/IBO featherweight title unification clash at Metro City in Perth, Australia, on Friday.
By winning the fight Vetyeka snapped John’s unbeaten record of 51 fights and 10 years as the WBA champion.
John was attempting to equal Panamanian legend Eusebio Pedroza’s 19 WBA featherweight title defences.
However the 32-year-old Duncan Villager would have none of it as he attacked John from the first round, dropping him twice but he was denied the knockdowns when the referee ruled the falls as slips.
But Vetyeka, who went into the ring determined to win the fight in honour of former president Nelson Mandela who died a day earlier, did not let the referee deter him.
He dropped John again in the fifth round and a merciless pounding in the following round forced the 34-year-old Indonesian to quit in his corner. Vetyeka later dedicated his victory to Mandela.
“Madiba is my hero and when I heard the sad news of his passing I was determined more than ever to win this fight in his honour,” Vetyeka said.
The win should rate as one of the biggest moments in national boxing history and is up there with Vuyani Bungu’s shock win over previously unbeaten Kennedy McKinney to take the IBF junior featherweight title in 1994.
Ironically Bungu was inspired by Mandela to achieve the victory and was also in Vetyeka’s corner when another boxing milestone involving an Eastern Cape boxer was achieved.
Vetyeka’s manager Andile Sidinile who had been predicting a victory for his charge despite the almost impossible task of having to become the first boxer to beat John, said he felt vindicated.
Among his victories John has beaten Mexican legend Juan Manuel Marquez who knocked out boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao in December last year.
But Sidinile detected a slippage in John’s boxing makeup.
“This is not the time to say I told you so, but I have been telling those who cared to listen if there was ever a time to beat John it was this one,” he said.
“We studied John and had a perfect game plan of breaking him down with body punches.”
Sidinile bemoaned the controversial manner in which the referee Gustavo Padilla from Panama handled the fight.
“He wanted to protect John at all costs because he twice refused to count when John had been floored by legitimate blows. But we told Vetyeka to be patient and stick to the game plan. We knew the referee could do anything but he could not prevent Vetyeka from throwing his punches.”
Vetyeka becomes the first South African boxer to be a unified champion and Sidinile is in negotiations with the WBA to let Vetyeka assume the “super” champion status John held before the fight.
Sidinile dismissed reports the IBO title was not at stake as Vetyeka did not enter the ring with the belt.
“Yes, IBO president Ed Levine was livid by the fact we entered the ring without the IBO belt but we told him to get answers from Nick (Durandt).”
Vetyeka dumped Durandt to team up with Bungu and the Johannesburg trainer refused to give Vetyeka his IBO belt until the fighter paid him money he allegedly owes him.
The win stretched Vetyeka’s record to 26 wins with 16 stoppages against only two losses.
lMeanwhile Qumbu-born Capetonian Mzonke Fana lost a unanimous points decision to unbeaten Finnish fighter Edis Tatli for the WBA Intercontinental lightweight title at Borona Arena in Espoo, Finland, at the weekend.
The scores were 118-110 and 117-111 for Tatli.
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