Mnguni plays it safe with his young southpaw star

SOME fighters get a big break early in their careers and grab the opportunity with both hands.

Aphiwe Mboyiya is one such fighter who was given a chance to fight for the national title at a tender age with very few fights.

At just 19 years old with a meagre six fights, Mboyiya got the opportunity to challenge Sydney Maluleke for the SA featherweight crown last December through sheer luck when Maluleke was looking for an easy money fight after dethroning Sabelo Jubatha.

Still in a voluntary defence window, Maluleke was first offered Thabo Sonjica as a challenger and after initially considering to take the fight, he turned it down, insisting on fighting an easier challenger.

With both Sonjica and Mboyiya promoted and managed by Mzi Mnguni, Maluleke was offered Mboyiya and after making inquiries about the teen he saw the fight as an easy payday.

Not only was Mboyiya unknown in East London fight circles, Mnguni did not have much confidence in the Amalinda youngster.

Mboyiya caused an upset when he dethroned Maluleke via a unanimous points decision to become the youngest national champion in the country.

However, it was obvious that the kid was still at the development stages of his career as he ran out of gas in the championship rounds and only survived by holding for dear life.

Now he will use the title to fine- tune his boxing make up and his management has not wasted time to bring him back to action before he will be required to honour his compulsory mandatory defence obligation against tough opposition.

That is why Mboyiya has been matched against unheralded Sada-born locally based Lucky Khwaza in his first title defence at the Mdantsane Indoor Centre on Sunday.

“We have to use this voluntary defence window to develop the boy because mandatory defences are coming up,” said Mnguni.

Fighting from a southpaw stance, Mboyiya is one of those boxers who display flawed technique from a distance but give their opponents a tough time in the ring.

Maluleke thought the youngster would be easy meat and abandoned his boxing technique in favour of a one-punch knockout that never came.

While Maluleke waited for the opportunity to fire with his gun cocked, Mboyiya stole the rounds with his awkward style and by the time Maluleke realised that he would not be able to put the youngster to sleep it was too late.

Stunned by the sudden turn of events, Maluleke’s trainer Benny Pailman went for the referee for not deducting or disqualifying Mboyiya for excessive holding.

“We did not lose this fight but the referee stole it from us,” Pailman kept telling those who cared to listen even though the blame lied with him for underestimating the teen.

Nothing is really known about Khwaza besides the fact that his approval caused a mini row as he is rated in the junior-featherweight and not the featherweight where he is getting the title shot.