Once again there were complaints about Azinga Fuzile’s level of opposition after a disappointing showing by his Nigerian opponent Waidi Usman in their IBF African junior-lightweight title on Sunday.
Fighting in the junior-lightweight division for the first time after dominating the featherweight, Fuzile was vying for the IBF Africa title against the timid Nigerian.
To call the bout a fight would be an insult to other boxers who put their bodies on the line.
Usman did not throw a single meaningful shot at Fuzile, instead he was content to cover up as the Duncan Village star landed punches at will.
Some landed on the body while others found the target upstairs but Usman never really looked like getting close to being knocked out.
Instead he kept covering up, sparking calls for referee Deon Dwarte to stop the fight.
Dwarte went to the Nigerian’s corner in the middle rounds to warn him that if he did not put up a fight he would stop the fight.And when Fuzile continued to land blows in the eighth round Dwarte stepped in and stopped the bout.
After the one-sided affair spectators complained about Fuzile’s opposition after another poor showing by Namibian Immanuel Andeleki in his last bout in December.
This when the Namibian meekly folded in the first round without being hit by any meaningful blows. Fuzile’s promoter, Rumble Africa Promotions (RAP), had acknowledged the poor showing by Andeleki.
And after yet another below-par display by Usman, the promoters said they would work hard to find formidable foes in future. This after hiring Colin Nathan of Johannesburg as an international adviser in Fuzile’s affairs.
“Mr Nathan has vast knowledge of boxing and we are happy to work with him,” RAP said in a statement.
The win took Fuzile’s fight record to 11 wins without a loss with three of his last opponents unable to last the distance. While Fuzile cannot be blamed for the weak resistance put forth by the Nigerian, all the four boxers should be held accountable in two other bouts for the national titles on the card.
First it was Fuzile’s previous SA featherweight title contested by Scenery Park’s Khanyile Bulana and Tello Ditebe of Kroonstaad. The bout was a disappointment as both boxers appeared hesitant to let their hands go. At times they fought as if they were in sparring session with no fireworks. The fight continued in pedestrian manner with no clear winner in the eyes of the fans.
There were those who felt Dithebe deserved the verdict, including his travelling entourage which included the Kroonstaad municipality mayor and speaker.
But Bulana was handed the victory by a unanimous decision stretching his fight record to 10 fights without a loss.
It was the same in the SA junior-lightweight title clash between Phila Mpontshane and Koos Sibiya of Johannesburg. The two boxers would throw a single blow and admire their work.
The three bouts were the anti-climax to an otherwise explosive tournament which packed the hall...