Sivenathi ‘Special One’ Nontshinga was cool, calm and didn’t even blink when he met his opponent Hector ‘Baby Bull’ Flores for the first time at a press conference held at Hotel Lucerna in Hermosillo, Sorona, Mexico on Thursday.
Nontshinga and Flores are going to face off in a vacant International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior-flyweight title contest in Hermosillo on Saturday evening (Sunday morning, South African time).
The 23-year-old Nontshinga, who is trained by Colin Nathan at Hot Box Gym, revealed that he worked very hard while he was preparing to clash with the Mexican.
Part of Nontshinga’s preparations for the Flores fight was sparring sessions with former world champions Moruti Mthalane, DeeJay Kriel, Hekkie Budler and Simphiwe Konkco, who are all his stablemates.
“I have worked with such experienced boxers back at home. The likes of Moruti, DeeJay Kriel, Hekkie Budler and Simphiwe Konkco. They told me that I have to adjust each an every thing. I have to stay faithful, I have to believe in myself. I just have to keep pushing, no matter what,” Nontshinga said.
This is the most important fight for the unbeaten Nontshinga, who has won all his 10 fights with nine of those ending in stoppages.
The 29-year-old Flores from Tijuana in Baja California, Mexico, is also unbeaten having won 20 fights (10 knockouts) and four draws.
A Nontshinga win will result in him becoming the first IBF champion from the Eastern Cape in more than seven years.
Zolani ‘Last Born’ Tete was the last IBF champion from the Eastern Cape after he annexed the junior-bantamweight crown with a win over Japanese boxer Teiru Kinoshita in July 2014.
