Lelinye ithuba kuRoarke Knapp nanjengokuba esilwa nommi waseFrance uBakary Samake eLa Paris Défence Arena kwelaseFrance ngoLwesihlanu.
Emva kokulahlekelwa lithuba lokuphumelela intshinga ye-International Boxing Organisation (IBO) kudidi lwejunior-middleweight njengokuba wanqunyanyiswa kumjikelo wesithathu nguJorge Garcia Perez waseMexico ngoJuni nyakenye, ngoku uKnapp uzakulwa noSamake kumlo weWorld Boxing Council (WBC) Silver.
UKnapp, oneminyaka engamashumi amabini anesithandathu, wazilungisa izinto emva kokubethwa nguPerez, wanqumamisa u-Adones Cabalquinho wasePhilippines kumjikelo wesithathu e-Emperor’s Palace, eKempton Park, ngoDisemba kulonyaka ophelileyo.
“Asikho sekhefini apha. Silapha ngokuzokusebenza. Siwulungele umlo, sesilindele nje imini yomlo ngoku,” utshilo uVusi Mtolo, ongumqeqeshi kaKnapp.
“Sifike apha ngoLwesibini kuleveki ephelileyo, kwaye sele siqhelene neemeko zemozulu yalapha. Simbonile nalkmntu esizokulwa naye, wasuka wasidelela. Izakuba yimfazwe ukungena kwethu eqongeni.”
UMtolo wongeze ngelithi: “Sothukile sakufumanisa ukuba sithi sodwa abalwayo apha, ize ibengumnyhadala womculo emva koko. Kufuneka siwumele ngendlela eyiyo uMzantsi Afrika.”
UKnapp uya kulo mlo ephumelele izihlandlo ezilishumi elinesixhenxe, enqumamise amadoda alishumi elinambini, wabethwa kabini, waza walwa ngokulingana kumlo omnye.
Kwelinye icala, uqhuba kakuhle uSamake, oneminyaka engamashumi amabini ananye, njengokuba eyiphumelele yolishumi elinesixhenxe imilo yakhe, enqumamise amadoda alithoba. – Monwabisi Jimlongo
