Veteran Mdantsane boxer Ali Funeka has returned to Canada looking to exorcise demons he suffered there when he was denied a clear win over Joan Guzman eight years ago.
This when Funeka easily outboxed the Dominican Republican for the IBF world lightweight title only for the judges to score the bout a draw.
The outcome drew worldwide condemnation and was described as one of the worst decisions ever witnessed in the ring.
Funeka’s denial of a deserved win proved costly as he never won a world title again bar the little recognised WBF crown.
But just when his career is winding down Funeka, now aged 39, is looking to the same country to help swing back his career back to world title contention.
The lanky Mdantsane veteran takes on Colombian-born Canadian Samuel Vargas at Powerade Centre in Ontario, Canada on Saturday.
At stake will be the North American Boxing Association (Naba) welterweight title which may vault him back to world title contention if he wins.
While he is dismissed as almost a no-hoper against the local opponent whose three losses have been against world champions and drawn in 31 bouts, Funeka is unfazed by the odds stacked against him.
“At my age there is nothing to scare me,” he said.
“I am winding down my career but I believe I have some boxing left in me and I intend to put it in good use.”
Funeka has proven to be some sort of a road warrior having fought in his opponents’ backyard with commendable results.
In March last year he was shipped to Russia as an ‘easy’ opponent against that country’s prospect Viskhan Murzabekov but “Rush Hour” pulled off an upset win.
Nine months later he was on a flight to Australia to face local rising star Jeff Horn.
Although Funeka succumbed within six rounds, he left the ring with his reputation intact as he managed to drop the Aussie in the second round.
Eight months later the loss would prove to be highly respectable as Horn went on to score an upset victory over Filipino ring legend Manny Pacquiao to win the WBO world welterweight title.
Funeka left for Canada on Monday with trainer Dudu Bungu and co-promoter Sibongile Matiti.
Asked if he was ready to exorcise his Canadian demons, Funeka said: “I do not even want to think about what happened to me in that country otherwise I would not be able to do my job. I believe God has his own way of doing things. Look, I should have been a world champion had Canada not denied me a win but here I am, going back there looking to resurrect my career.”
Indeed while Funeka is now long in the tooth, no one can count him out especially given his stand against opponents fighting in their own backyard.
His performance against Horn is now a plus in his fight record of 48 fights with 39 wins, six losses and three draws.
Funeka is using all the positives he can muster to win arguing that the fact that he is 39 years old and has won 39 bouts is a good omen for him.
“We tend to ignore these little things but they have a way of working out when we least expect,” he said.
Whether Canada will now save Funeka’s career that it nearly destroyed eight years ago will be determined by the resilient of Vargas.