Athi Dumezweni finally exacted revenge when he sensationally stopped nemesis Lindile Tshemese in four rounds in a one-must-die encounter to lift the SA junior-bantamweight title a fortnight ago.
The vanquishing of his rival follows his stoppage loss in the 12th round to Tshemese two years ago, when he was way ahead on points.
In this chat he reveals what happened after losing the fight and why he left his uncle Mthetho Dumezweni in Mthatha to join Damien Durandt in Johannesburg.
BOXING MECCA: Athi you must still be relaxing at home with your new belt not thinking about going back to training.
ATHI DUMEZWENI: Actually I am already here in the gym in Johannesburg. I came straight here but I am planning to find time to go back home in Mthatha to celebrate the win with a traditional ceremony.
BM: Take us through the fight and how you felt when you heard that you were to fight Tshemese again and not Thulani Gumede as it was initially planned.
AD: Let me take you back to the first fight which I lost to Tshemese. I was so gutted that I immediately went to his room to congratulate him and asked him to give me another chance. I will never forget what his handlers said to me. They told me in no uncertain terms that I must forget about a rematch as they had other plans. This was said in such an impersonal manner.
BM: Really? They did not promise you even though they knew that the rematch would not happen as Boxing SA does not order rematches?
AD: Never! The way they said it was like I had no feelings. They knew they had had a lucky escape when the referee allowed him to punch me during a “break”, leading to his victory. But I vowed that I would one day get my revenge.
AB: How did you feel when you heard that he had lodged a protest with BSA for approving Gumede to fight you?
AD: I said a little of prayer of thanks because I realised that God had answered my prayers. I was not preparing for Gumede as much as I started when I learnt that I was going to fight Tshemese. I doubled my efforts and increased the sparring partners and rounds. In fact, I made a solemn promise that I would rather die in the ring than losing to him again. This fight was more than a boxing match because I went through hell after losing to him.
BM: What kind of hell did you go through?
AD: Well my funds dried up so I had no income. I had to leave for Johannesburg to look for a job. When I left my uncle and went to Johannesburg, I only went there to seek work, not to train with another person. I opted to keep quiet because people did not understand what really went on. I had to feed my family. It was only when I was already in Johannesburg that the likes of Thulani Mbenge and Ludumo Lamati suggested that I should not give up on my boxing career. They said they could find me a place to train while I continue my day job.
BM: I have to ask you this Athi because people including myself were surprised when you went toe-to-toe with Tshemese in your first fight in the last round instead of playing it safe as you were way ahead on points.
AD: Bhuti I wish you had not asked me that. To tell you the truth I wanted to go for a knockout in the ninth round when I felt that he was ready to go but my handlers stopped me. They said I should instead continue to box. I told them that I was ready to take him out but they refused. Now before the last round they told me that Tshemese was the champion fighting in his own area and I should remember how East London officials treat visiting boxers. They said I should go all out and gun for a stoppage if I could. The rest is history. But I want to add that no one envisaged what would happen, so I am not blaming them. We all wanted the win at the end of the day.
BM: In the second fight you were a different animal altogether. When did you feel that Tshemese was not going to last?
AD: In the second round when I touched his body I could feel that he was ready to go. He started grabbing and I had to maintain my composure and select my punches.
BM: Were you not worried that you would be denied again when the referee failed to count for him after you dropped him with a right hook and in his fall he took you down with him?
AD: I knew that this time no one would be able to help him because I was all over him. But it amused me while watching the knockdown that was not called for, on video-footage.
BM: Were you not worried when your chief trainer Damien Durandt could not find a flight to be present in the fight?
AD: We spoke on the phone before the fight and he reminded me to stick to the gameplan and not be affected by who was in my corner. In fact Andy KaZembe had been part of my technical team helping me with pad-work so having him in the corner was as good as Damien.
BM: Congratulations Mbamba, Krila
AD: Thanks bhuti and thanks to everyone who supported me...