There were mixed fortunes for Mdantsane’s premier boxing family when the famed Tete brothers experienced contrasting outcomes in their boxing title fights at the Orient Theatre on Friday.
Fighting for the first time for titles in the same tournament, Zolani and Makazole shared the bill in the former’s Last Born Promotion debut show presented in association with Xaba Promotions and Events.
Zolani, a former IBF super flyweight champion, did his share of the job when he easily outscored Filipino Jether Oliva to lift the WBO Africa title.
Tete hardly put a foot wrong as he totally dominated the visitor even though he was carrying two injuries suffered in training.
Oliva, who had given current IBO flyweight champion Moruti Mthalane a tough challenge, was no match for Zolani and he should thank his lucky stars that the local southpaw could not maintain a sustained offensive due to the injury.
“I pulled my punches in fear of aggravating the shoulder injury I suffered in training,” Tete said after the fight, his shoulder swathed in bandages.
Despite this, Oliva had to take a brief trip to the canvas in the fourth round when he was dropped by a counter left hook. Thereafter he turned into a human punch bag as he absorbed a merciless beating throughout the fight, refusing to throw in the towel.
The judges had Tete winning by 120-107 twice and 120-108.
While Zolani left nothing to chance, his brother Makazole’s performance left much to be desired in his battle for the IBO crown against Gideon
Buthelezi in the same division.
Makazole simply did not show up as he spent the best part of the fight fighting on the ropes where he became an easy target for Buthelezi’s flurries.
Makazole’s body language reflected his lack of interest in the fight.
Having cheated the scales at the weigh-in, he appeared heavy and stiff as he hardly threw a meaningful punch.
His sibling – as well as his mother, Nomonde, who was at the ringside – screamed their lungs out trying to spur him on.
However, this was to no avail as Makazole even avoided eye contact with his brother between rounds.
Instead he turned his back on Bu-
thelezi on numerous occasions for the smallest of infractions and was lucky the referee did not stop the fight.
His disappointing performance was evident in his management team’s attitude.
Even his manager, Mla Tengimfene, lost interest in the proceedings in the ring while promoter Ayanda Matiti, who is known for getting involved when his fighter is straying off the game plan, also remained on his seat uninterested.
Despite hardly winning a round, one judge Patrick Mkondiwa surprisingly saw him losing by just three points in his 116-113 card.
However, Mkondiwa’s colleagues – Ace Makaluza and Tony Nyangiwe – scored the fight 119-109 and 118-110 respectively.
In other bouts, Lwandile Sityatha moved up to the bantamweight ranks and produced one of his best performances as he outwitted Filipino Ernesto Saulong to pick up the WBO International title.
Sityatha appeared comfortable fighting in his new division as he used angles to stay away from Saulong’s swinging counters.
The judges had Sityatha, who even scored a knockdown, winning by 118-109 twice and 119-109.
Other results: Ali Funeka TKO 4 Gideon Agbosu (WBO Africa welterweight title), Mzonke Fana TKO8 Xolani Mcotheli (WBO Africa lightweight title), Aphiwe Mboyiya TKO 7 Abraham Osei Bonsu (WBO Africa junior lightweight title).
Mixed fortunes for famed Tete brothers
Fighting for the first time for titles in the same tournament, Zolani and Makazole shared the bill in the former’s Last Born Promotion debut show presented in association with Xaba Promotions and Events.
Zolani, a former IBF super flyweight champion, did his share of the job when he easily outscored Filipino Jether Oliva to lift the WBO Africa title.
Tete hardly put a foot wrong as he totally dominated the visitor even though he was carrying two injuries suffered in training.
Oliva, who had given current IBO flyweight champion Moruti Mthalane a tough challenge, was no match for Zolani and he should thank his lucky stars that the local southpaw could not maintain a sustained offensive due to the injury.
“I pulled my punches in fear of aggravating the shoulder injury I suffered in training,” Tete said after the fight, his shoulder swathed in bandages.
Despite this, Oliva had to take a brief trip to the canvas in the fourth round when he was dropped by a counter left hook. Thereafter he turned into a human punch bag as he absorbed a merciless beating throughout the fight, refusing to throw in the towel.
The judges had Tete winning by 120-107 twice and 120-108.
While Zolani left nothing to chance, his brother Makazole’s performance left much to be desired in his battle for the IBO crown against Gideon
Buthelezi in the same division.
Makazole simply did not show up as he spent the best part of the fight fighting on the ropes where he became an easy target for Buthelezi’s flurries.
Makazole’s body language reflected his lack of interest in the fight.
Having cheated the scales at the weigh-in, he appeared heavy and stiff as he hardly threw a meaningful punch.
His sibling – as well as his mother, Nomonde, who was at the ringside – screamed their lungs out trying to spur him on.
However, this was to no avail as Makazole even avoided eye contact with his brother between rounds.
Instead he turned his back on Bu-
thelezi on numerous occasions for the smallest of infractions and was lucky the referee did not stop the fight.
His disappointing performance was evident in his management team’s attitude.
Even his manager, Mla Tengimfene, lost interest in the proceedings in the ring while promoter Ayanda Matiti, who is known for getting involved when his fighter is straying off the game plan, also remained on his seat uninterested.
Despite hardly winning a round, one judge Patrick Mkondiwa surprisingly saw him losing by just three points in his 116-113 card.
However, Mkondiwa’s colleagues – Ace Makaluza and Tony Nyangiwe – scored the fight 119-109 and 118-110 respectively.
In other bouts, Lwandile Sityatha moved up to the bantamweight ranks and produced one of his best performances as he outwitted Filipino Ernesto Saulong to pick up the WBO International title.
Sityatha appeared comfortable fighting in his new division as he used angles to stay away from Saulong’s swinging counters.
The judges had Sityatha, who even scored a knockdown, winning by 118-109 twice and 119-109.
Other results: Ali Funeka TKO 4 Gideon Agbosu (WBO Africa welterweight title), Mzonke Fana TKO8 Xolani Mcotheli (WBO Africa lightweight title), Aphiwe Mboyiya TKO 7 Abraham Osei Bonsu (WBO Africa junior lightweight title).
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