Izakuba ngumlo omkhulu wembethi-manqindi yoMzantsi Afrika uPhumelela ‘The Truth’ Cafu xa evana amandla noJesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez waseMelika ngoJulayi.
Zintathu iintshinga ezizakulwelwa kulo mlo – yintshinga yeWorld Boxing Organisation (WBO) kudidi junior-bantamweight ephethwe nguCafu kunye neentshinga zikaRodriguez kwiWorld Boxing Council (WBC) neRing Magazine.
Kwaye ke ngokokutsho kukaColin ‘Nomakanjani’ Nathan, oqeqesha nolawula lenjinga yamhlamnene eMzantsi Afrika kudidi lwejunior-bantamweight, umlo noRodriguez uzakubanjelwa eTexas kwelaseMelika ngeCawa umhla wamashumi amabini, ngokwexesha loMzantsi Afrika.
“Kusithabathe iiveki ezine ukuze sikwazi ukuqukumbela lo mlo omkhulu kangaka. Lithuba elikhulu kakhulu eli kumanqindi aseMzantsi Afrika, kwaye ibingekho indlela yokulilahla elithuba lihle kangaka,” utshilo uNathan.
UCafu uphefumle wathi ngalomlo: “Ewe, ndiye ndothuka kuba bekukho amarhe malunga nalomlo kumaqonga ezolunti. Ngethuba ndibuza uColin ngalomlo, wandixelela ukuba abantu bakaBam abakathethi nto. Kwakukwiiveki ezimbalwa ezigqithileyo ngoko. Ndayikhupha lonto engqondweni yam, ndagqiba ekubeni ndigxile kumlo wam wasekhaya. Inkulu lento njengokuba kwakhona ndizakulwa nembethi-manqindi ephambili, ndibonise ihlabathi ukuba ndiphethe ntoni na.
“Kudala ndifuna ukulwa naye kuba abantu bacinga ukuba yinkunzi koludidi lwethu, kwaye bathi akabetheki, kodwa ndizakubabonisa ukuba akekho umntu ongabethwayo. Ndizakuba kwindawo entle kakhulu xa sele ndimbethile, ndibeyikumkani kudidi lwethu.”
Ingqonyela yeBoxing 5 uLarry Wainstein uthethe wenjenje: “Ngokucacileyo besilungiselela umlo kaPhumelela eCarnival City, eGauteng, kodwa ngethuba uColin esithi ukwiingxoxo neMatchroom ukuze kubekho lo mlo, ibelithuba ebesingenakuthi hayi kulo.
“Ndinelunda, kwaye ndiyamvuyela uCafu nangomsebenzi owenziwe yiNO DOUBT Management neBoxing 5 ukuzuza ithuba elihle kangaka. Awukho umlo omkhulu owogqitha lo, kwaye ngumntu owaqondayo amanqindi onokuyiqonda lento.”
UCafu, ophumelele imilo elishumi elinanye, wanqumamisa amadoda asibhozo, waze walwa ngokulingana kwimilo emithathu, waphumelela intshinga yeWBO emva kokubetha ummi waseJapan uKosei Tanaka, owakhe waphumelela intshinga zehlabathi ezine, eJapan ngo-Okthobha nyakenye.
Kusenjalo, uRodriguez, oneminyaka engamashumi amabini anesihlanu, waseSan Antonio, eTexas, kwelaseMelika, akakabethwa njengokuba eyiphumelele yonke imilo engamashumi amabini ananye, enqumamise amadoda alishumi elinesine. – Monwabisi Jimlongo
