1 month ago
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The boxing fraternity in East London is expected to show its unconditional love and admiration for departed boxing icon, Mzimasi Mnguni, by coming out in big numbers to support an initiative by veteran amateur boxing trainer Vuyolomzi Mtekwane who organised an inaugural Women Only amateur boxing tournament tomorrow in honour of Mnguni.
The tournament will take place at NU 10 Hall in Mdantsane, Mtekwane of Sisonke Boxing Gym has confirmed.
Coincidentally, that day is celebrated annually here at National Women's Day. Mnguni was the first boxing manager in the Eastern Cape to open the doors of his Eyethu Boxing Gym in Mdantsane to women boxers in 2000.
The hall that will be used is opposite the house where Mnguni stayed before he moved to Vincent Heights. His Eyethu Shopping Centre was also in the same vicinity at NU 10.
The list of females that Mnguni welcomed in his gym includes Noni Tenge, Unathi Myekeni and Namhla Tyuluba. They later joined other stables, and Tyuluba became a ring official.
“It is through his [Mnguni] wise thinking of allowing girls to train in his gym that we felt it is proper to stage this women-only tournament on Women's Day in honour of Bra Mzi,” said Mtekwane.
A former driver for playwright, composer, director and producer, Gibson Kente, Mnguni, produced a plethora of legitimate World boxing champions, and that includes producing the first black South African IBF champion on March 10 1990.
That was when Welcome Ncita captured that New York-based sanctioning boxing body's junior-featherweight title.
Mnguni – an astute ring strategist – played an instrumental role in the shock victory by Vuyani Bungu, who dethroned Kennedy McKinney for Ncita’s old IBF junior-featherweight title. Bungu chalked up 13 successful defences.
Mnguni also guided Mbulelo Botile to winning the IBF bantamweight, and IBF and IBO featherweight titles.
Former Olympian, Masibulele Makepula, won the WBO junior-flyweight title under the guidance of Mnguni who helped Zolani Petelo win the IBF strawweight crown.
Mnguni achieved that greatness alongside successful veteran boxing promoter Rodney Berman' whose Golden Gloves guided the careers of all Mnguni's fighters. Mnguni passed away in 2021 at the age of 73.
Said Mtekwana: “I intend to do this annually; we hope to grow it into a big thing. We aim to have something big that will be named after Mnguni – like a monument where his achievements and the names of all the fighters he trained will be engraved there for all to see.”
