Mpumelelo Tshabalala does not believe that Athenkosi Thongwana is a serious threat to his reign as a South African junior-flyweight champion even though he has admitted that his opponent is a closed book to him.
Tshabalala is going to put his title on the line when he trades blows with Thongwana at the Orient Theatre in East London on Sunday, 18 December.
“Truly speaking, I know nothing about the guy. I only saw one video of him fighting and that was a 2019 fight. But I’m not bothered at all. I’m not afraid of him because I know what to do inside the ring,” Tshabalala said.
Tshabalala from Katlehong in Ekurhuleni has had good results against the last two Eastern Cape boxers he met. He stopped Xolisa Magusha from Sada in the fifth round on his way to winning the SA title and he then successfully defended his crown against Duncan Village’s Sikho Moshani.
“I will be going there to make sure that I win again. So far, I have done well against opponents from the Eastern Cape,” the 24-year-old Tshabalala remarked.
Tshabalala, who will be makig his second defence of his title, trains in Katlehong under the watchful eyes of the Malinga brothers – Peter, Vusi and Thami.
