By Monwabisi Jimlongo
Boxing trainer Colin ‘Nomakanjani’ Nathan is confident that his boxer Moruti ‘Babyface’ Mthalane will bow out with a bang as he’s going to fight for the last time before he hangs up his gloves next month.
Mthalane faces off with Diomel Diocos from the Philippines in an international bout at the Pietermaritzburg City Hall on Sunday, 2 October.
“Moruti will go out on a high. In history, he will never be forgotten in the sport of boxing,” Mthalane’s trainer Colin ‘Nomakanjani’ Nathan said.
Mthalane, who turns 40 four days after his last fight, is a two-time International Boxing Federation (IBF) flyweight champion. He is also a former International Boxing Organisation (IBO) flyweight titlist.
Nathan reckons that the Lindelani-born Mthalane, who lost his IBF crown to Briton Sunny Edwards in April last year, is greater than former British Empire flyweight champion the late Jacob Ntuli popularly known as Jake Tuli.
“Moruti is the greatest flyweight in South Africa and African boxing history Probably, he’s even greater than Jake Tuli,” Nathan remarked.
In his professional career, which started with a stoppage win over Wiseman Mnguni at The Arena in Durban in December 2000, Mthalane registered 39 victories (26 knockouts) and three losses.
The 39-year-old Mthalane has only been stopped twice in his career. He suffered a stoppage loss to Filipino boxer Nonito Donaire during an IBF flyweight title fight at the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas in November 2008.
He was also stopped by Nkqubela Gwazela when they fought for the South African and vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) International flyweight titles at the Graceland Hotel and Casino in Secunda in September 2004.