By Monwabisi Jimlongo
With Mthatha having only one South African champion in minimumweight titlist Bangile Nyangani, his homeboy Lusizo ‘Speed Fire’ Manzana aims to add another crown as he wants to dethrone national bantamweight champion Ronald ‘King’ Malindi.
Manzana, who is trained by Thembani Gopheni, gets an opportunity to achieve that when he challenges Malindi at the East London International Convention Centre (ICC) on Friday, 16 June.
Already, Malindi has four title defences under his belt and is only one successful defence away from becoming the outright owner of the South African championship belt.
“Malindi has a right to say whatever he wants to say because South Africa is a free country. What I know is that the belt is going to change hands on the 16th,” a confident Manzana said.
The unbeaten Malindi earlier made it clear that he wants to make a successful fifth title defence. But Manzana has insisted that he’ll stop Malindi from achieving that.
“He has defended it four times and I’m not gonna allow him to become the outright owner of the belt. He fought against people who were recommended by their managers and promoters. Now he’s gonna meet someone who really wants to fight against him. There’s nothing special about Malindi,” Manzana remarked.
In a professional career which started with a technical knockout win over Masivuye Philiso at the Mthatha Hall in September 2016, Manzana has gone on to register 10 victories (four knockouts) and a loss, which was inflicted on him by reigning International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior-flyweight champion Sivenathi ‘Special One’ Nontshinga in April 2018.
The 25-year-old Manzana’s last fight was a unanimous decision victory over Mawande Mbusi at the Orient Theatre in East London in July.
Malindi, who won the SA title when he defeated Mbulelo Dyani in September 2018, defeated Rofhiwa Nemushungwa by a split decision at the Steve Tshwete Banquet Hall in Mhluzi, Middelburg, in his fourth defence last July. Malindi remains unbeaten having won all his 19 fights and has, in the process, stopped nine of his opponents.
This bout forms part of the Rumble Africa Promotions (RAP) tournament, which is going to be headlined by Nontshinga’s world title defence against Regie Suganob from the Philippines.
