By Monwabisi Jimlongo
Ben Mtyaliselo has accused fellow East London boxing trainer Thembani Gopheni of poaching his boxers.
The boxers Gopheni has been accused of poaching are Athenkosi Thongwana and Awonke Tini.
“This is a very serious matter and it’s very bad. Most of these boxers come from my hands and I have never complained when they left me. Now this,” Mtyaliselo said.
“My boxers went to Gopheni to help spar with (Sivenathi) Nontshinga before his fight against (Christian) Araneta. Gopheni is my best friend, but look what he has done to me.”
Gopheni laughed off Mtyaliselo’s allegations insisting that he never poached his boxers.
“What must boxers do when a trainer doesn’t have a gym? I have never poached his boxers. Awonke was an amateur when I met him. I took him to his first professional fight and he won. Athenkosi is happy where he is,” Gopheni said.
Currently, Mtyaliselo does not have a gym and is working at Amanda Magatya’s stable in Mdantsane.
Mtyaliselo ran into problems after his gym in Duncan Village was broken into early this year and has not opened since.
Even his son Luzuko Siyo, the newly-crowned World Boxing Federation (WBF) Intercontinental bantamweight champion, trained at Magatya’s gym before fighting against Sanele Magwaza in Gqeberha last month.
“I’m going to open a gym in Duncan Village. At the moment, I’m with Amanda at his gym and everything is ok,” Mtyaliselo said.
