A few years ago Thulani ‘Evolution’ Mbenge ditched the South African welterweight title to embark on an international career where he successfully became a world champion.
However, things didn’t work out well for him on the international front after he was dethroned by German boxer Sebastian Formella in an
International Boxing Organisation (IBO) welterweight title contest in
July 2019.
Instead, the African Boxing Union (ABU) welterweight champion has only fought once – a fight against Mardochee Kuvesa Katembo in October.
And now the former IBO welterweight titlist is back to square one as he is fighting for the same South African title he once held.
Mbenge from East London is going to challenge reigning SA welterweight king Mziwoxolo Ndwayana from Makhanda in an all-Eastern Cape shootout
at the Kagiso Memorial Centre in Kagiso, Krugersdorp, on Friday.
Ironically, Mbenge won the the same SA welterweight title with a win over Ndwayana in 2017.
‘‘We have done our best preparing this fight. I’m going to box him throughout the fight. This is my title and Ndwayana knows that,’’ Mbenge, who is trained by Sean Smith in Johannesburg, said.
Meanwhile, former IBO featherweight champion Lusanda Komanisi and
Siphenathi Qampi are going to fight for the vacant ABU lightweight
title at the Methodist Church Multipurpose Centre in Wilsonia, East London, on Saturday evening.
