A date has been set for Sivenathi ‘Special One’ Nontshinga’s first defence of his International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior-flyweight title, which is against Japanese boxer Masamichi Yabuki.
This fight between Nontshinga and the former World Boxing Council (WBC) junior-flyweight champion is going to be held in Nagoya, Japan, on Sunday, 12 October.
“Yes, it’s finally happening and I’m looking forward to Sive putting in a great performance and retaining his world title in spectacular fashion,” Nontshinga’s manager and trainer Colin ‘Nomakanjani’ Nathan said.
This contest is going to be put together by Matchroom, Lush Midori Gym in association with Teiken Promotions as well as Nathan’s company NO DOUBT Management.
“I said that I had no problem for us travelling and doing this contest in Japan as Sive has proved that he can go into the opponent’s backyard, perform and win. From a business perspective, Sive is getting paid handsomely and I have a responsibility to get him the best possible deals in his career,” Nathan said.
Yabuki, who has 16 wins with 15 stoppages and four losses, once stopped his compatriot Kenshiro Teraji in the 10th round to claim the WBC junior-flyweight tite in September 2021.
Nontshinga said about the latest developments: “I feel great about it. I’ve been looking forward to doing my mandatory defence and now that there’s a date confirmed, let’s get it. I’m used to going to foreign countries and snatching belts from others, so it’s not a big deal.”
And Nomfesane Nyatela, the managing director at Special One Management, said: “We are all very proud of him, and he is representing our country like a true ambassador.”
