Vastly-talented former South African junior-flyweight champion Nhlanhla ‘Mount Kilimanjaro’ Tyirha is not overly concerned about the cancellation of his fight against Jemsi Kibazange from Tanzania.
Tyirha and the Tanzanian were scheduled to square up against each other at the Orient Theatre in East London this coming Sunday. However, Happy Tewo of Tewo Boxing Promotions was forced to cancel the tournament due to various reasons.
“The cancellation of the tournament has not affected me because I’m always in the gym. I don’t only train when I have a fight coming up. Yes, I would have loved to fight again, but these things happen,” Tyirha said.
The 23-year-old Tyirha defeated Filipino boxer Orlie Silvestre in an International Boxing Federation (IBF) Intercontinental junior-flyweight title contest at the East London International Convention Centre (ICC) on 30 October.
This was going to be 26-year-old Morogoro-born Kibazange’s second visit to the Eastern Cape. Kibazange, who is now based in Dar-Es-Salaam, lost to Sikho Nqothole in an International Boxing Organisation (IBO) All-Africa junior-bantamweight title fight in Mthatha in November 2019.
Meanwhile, reigning South African super-middleweight champion Asemahle Wellem was due to test his boxing skills in a fight against Freeman Mabvongwe from Zimbabwe in the same tournament.
The unbeaten Wellem and the Zimbabwean were going to clash in a vacant African Boxing Union (ABU) super-middleweight title fight. Chintsa-born Wellem, who stopped Tinashe Zihove from Zimbabwe in East London in October.
