The absence of Noni Tenge inside the ring has all to do with the ‘deep hatred’ she harbours for boxing as she believes that she was hard done by people connected with the sport.
This was revealed by Nicky Erasmus, the trainer of Africa’s first female boxer to win an International Boxing Federation (IBF) title.
A former IBF and World Boxing Federation (WBF) welterweight titlist, Tenge has not fought since a stoppage win over Mapule Ngubane in a WBF junior-middleweight title contest at the Mdantsane Indoor Sport Centre in August 2019.
“At the moment Noni is very cross with the boxing industry. She’s very cross with the WBF. There was a fight that was lined up during COVID times. All Noni’s stuff were correct including her passport, which I paid for myself,” Erasmus said.
“All of sudden, we heard that the fight had been moved. Thereafter, the fight was given to someone else. Noni had trained hard, she was in the best shape, she still is. She’s on weight and she’s in the gym everyday. She’s cross with everyone. They stripped her of her title. They gave it to someone else.”
Tenge, who is now based in Gqeberha, is not a Boxing South Africa (BSA) licensee anymore.
“She didn’t renew her licence because she was cross. We are, however, going to apply for a licence when the licensing window opens. Noni is getting old now, she’s over 40 years. Maybe she’s got only two more years left in boxing,” Erasmus remarked.
With a professional record of 20 wins (11 knockouts), one loss and a draw, Tenge is by far the most successful South African female boxer, having won three world titles.
“She’s fit, she’s working in a gym. She works as a personal trainer. She’s in the gym every single day, training and teaching. She’s on weight, she walks on weight,” Erasmus said.
Tenge attempted to win the then vacant World Boxing Association (WBA) junior-middleweight title at the Orient Theatre in East London on 30 September 2012. She, however, came short as she suffered an eighth round stoppage loss at the hands of American boxer Layla McCarter.
