Hlulukwenza Dladla of Hlula Dladla Boxing Promotions is begging current South African featherweight champion Zolisa Batyi to give his boxer Lindelani Sibisi a chance.
Dladla’s call comes just a few days after Sibisi’s trainer Mtuseni Dube also called Batyi from Eluxolweni in Nxarhuni to defend his SA crown against the World Boxing Federation (WBF) Intercontinental featherweight champion.
Batyi successfully defended his SA title when he stopped Lucky Hobyane in the eighth round at the Orient Theatre in East London more than a week ago.
“South Africans need to see a fight between Batyi and Sibisi. I’m begging Batyi to give Sibisi a chance. The fight can even be held at a neutral venue in Johannesburg. In fact, Sibisi is willing to come to East London,” Dladla said.
The 25-year-old Sibisi is fresh from a first round win over Tanzanian Iddy Kayumba in Estcourt, KwaZulu-Natal, more than a week ago.
“They wrote to us before Batyi defended against Hobyane, but we couldn’t agree on certain issues. We were even prepared to drop the WBF fight to go challenge Batyi,” Dladla remarked.
Meanwhile, Sibisi has won six times with five of those victories coming from stoppages against two defeats.
I mourn with the country.I mourn with my colleagues in the boxing fraternity. Most of all I share my condolences to the family of the fallen fighter.I pray that God will be next to you during this difficult time.I respected 24 as a trainer. He had monstrous work ethic .We would train along side each other on the beach.Yet the irony is that we would be fighting each other. He would be with Steve Joors and I would be with my former boxer.Through that interaction I learnt to appreciate and respect him as friend and as a fighter.It is disheartening when young people die before us.24 was a hero and a role model to many.May God have mercy on his soul.