By Monwabisi Jimlongo
It looks like that Sivenathi ‘Special One’ Nontshinga was going to become a world champion was always written in the stars.
Even the East London boxer’s surname seemed to suggest that he was going to bring a major title home one day and he did that by defeating a previously undefeated Mexican boxer Hector Flores at the Centro de Usos Multiples in Hermosillo, Sorona, Mexico on Sunday morning (South African time).
Nontshinga became the first boxer to defeat Flores when he won the vacant International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior-flyweight title by a split decision after a gruelling 12 rounds.
Two judges Pasquale Propicio (116-111) and Deon Dwarte (114-113) gave the fight to Nontshinga while the Fabricio Lopez had Flores winning by 115-112.
A jab, which he sometimes forgot to use during the clash, worked well for Nontshinga, who came up against a brawler. A second round decking of Flores also made the difference in the scorecards.
“The fight went very well. It wasn’t easy, but I came through. I managed to get the victory. I’m the world champion,” a happy Nontshinga remarked.
Nontshinga was fighting for the first time outside South Africa and it was also his first fight since he defeated Filipino boxer Christian Araneta in an elimination bout in Gqeberha in April last year while it was the 29-year-old Flores’ fourth bout since last June.
Nontshinga is now the first IBF champion from South Africa since Moruti Mthalane surrendered his flyweight crown to Briton Sunny Edwards in April last year.
The unbeaten Nontshinga is also 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.
Nontshinga has now improved his record to 11 wins (nine knockouts) while Flores from Tijuana in Baja California, Mexico, dropped to 20 victories (10 stoppages), a loss and four draws.
