By Monwabisi Jimlongo
One-time world title contender and former South African featherweight champion Azinga ‘Golden Boy’ Fuzile has joined Fantastic 2 Boxing Promotions after more than seven years as a Rumble Africa Promotions (RAP) boxer.
The move by the Duncan Village-born Fuzile to Fantastic 2 Boxing Promotions was confirmed to Ink Sport by the promotional outfit’s boss Elias Tshabalala.
Having joined Tshabalala’s stable, the 26-year-old southpaw is set to drop to the junior-lightweight division from lightweight. This is the same division Fuzile fought at when he collided with Japanese boxer Kenichi Ogawa in an International Boxing Federation (IBF) title contest in the United States in November 2021.
“I can confirm that Azinga has joined my promotions company. We had been talking for a year before we reached an agreement. I have told him together with his trainer that I will only promote him at junior-lightweight,” Tshabalala confirmed.
With Fuzile, who’s been in Johannesburg for more than three months now, having not fought since his technical knockout win over Malawian boxer Romeo Makwakwa in East London in July last year, Tshabalala has said that he has lined up a fight against a soon-to-be-announced opponent.
“I’m planning a big tournament at the Orient Theatre in East London and Azinga is going to fight in the main bout,” Tshabalala revealed.
Contacted for comment, Fuzile’s trainer Mzamo ‘Chief’ Njekanye was cagey and only said: “It’s not the right time to talk about this.”
Meanwhile, current SA featherweight champion Zolisa Batyi and his stablemate Siphamandla Baleni have also joined Fantastic 2 Boxing Promotions.
Batyi and Baleni, a former SA junior-flyweight and minimumweight titlist, were once promoted by Xaba Promotions and are both trained by Khangelani Jack.
“I can also confirm that Batyi and Baleni have joined my promotions company. They are going to fight in my next tournament,” Tshabalala remarked.
