The boxing world is an oyster for Duncan Village boxer Azinga Fuzile. That was top promoter Rodney Berman’s reaction after witnessing for the first time Fuzile’s special talent in his one-sided three rounds demolition job on Tshifhiwa Munyai at Emperors Palace at the weekend.
Fuzile and Munyai were contesting the semifinals of the Featherweight Super Four Series.And the 21-year-old left a lasting impression at the venue in which he was fighting for the first time.
This when he sent Munyai to the deck three times – two in the third round to force the experienced Limpopo boxer to call a “no mas”.
The fight, Fuzile’s ninth, was expected to be the hardest for the Kusile Comprehensive School matriculant.
But it turned out to be his easiest as his blend of skills were on display for the Emperors Palace audience.
Despite fighting in the venue for the first time, Fuzile showed composure belying his relative novice career.
Munyai, 32, who came to the fight boasting international experience, did not land a single significant punch in the one sided beat-down.
And after being sent sprawling to the canvas by a straight left in the second round, the fight oozed out of him like air leaving a balloon.
Fuzile easily picked him apart with body and head combinations.
And Berman was beaming from ear to ear about what he was seeing.
“This boy is incredible,” he said breathlessly. “I’m glad he agreed to be part of this series because now the whole world will know about him.”
By beating Munyai, Fuzile has now qualified for the Featherweight Super Four Series final which will be held next year in February or March.
The ABC silver title will also be carrot for the final. While Fuzile stole the show it was not such luck for another East London boxer Simpiwe Vetyeka who suffered a shocking points defeat by unheralded Lerato Dlamini in the other semifinal clash.
The 36-year-old fight-starved Vetyeka, also from Duncan Village but living in Mdantsane, looked his age against the opponent 13 years his junior.
Vetyeka allowed Dlamini to outwork him with a looping right hand his Achilles heel throughout the fight.
Even though one judge had the fight even while two others saw Dlamini winning, the outcome was a foregone conclusion and is now ringing alarm bells for the career of the talented veteran.
And the fact that Vetyeka’ s demise came while people were still in disbelief with what they had seen from Fuzile did not help matters.
Long after the fight had started, spectators were still mobbing Fuzile with the boxer spending much more time in a victory lap than he did inside the ring.
In another clash involving an Eastern Cape boxer, Thembani Okolo atoned himself despite coming at the wrong end of the outcome for his mini-flyweight clash against local favourite Deejay Kriel.
Okolo was declared a loser by a majority decision with one judge turning in a draw scorecard but overruled by his colleagues who voted for Kriel.
Fuzile will now turn his attention to his matric exams.
- Mesuli Zifo’s trip was made possible courtesy of Golden Gloves.