Sanele ‘V16’ Sogcwayi has only fought twice since ditching his vest to join the professional ranks and already Golden Gloves managing director Rodney Berman is touting him as the next big thing in South African boxing.
Sogcwayi from Mdantsane, who campaigns in the featherweight division, won his second professional fight when he outpointed debutant and KwaMashu-born Siphesihle Nkomo at the Emperor’s Palace in Kempton Park, Ekurhuleni, on Saturday evening.
“Sogcwayi, to me, is one of the finest prospects I’ve seen in many, many years. He’s gonna go very, very far. He’s charismatic and can fight. I’ve never been so excited about a fighter coming out for a long time,” Berman said.
The 23-year-old Sogcwayi joined the paid ranks after he won 245 fights and lost only five times as an amateur boxer. He was a gold medallist at the 2022 Mandela African Boxing Cup and a silver medal winner at last year’s edition.
Already, Berman has lined up a third fight of the year for Sogcwayi, who is a seven-time South African amateur champion. He will fight in the same bill as International Boxing Organisation (IBO) junior-bantamweight champion Ricardo Malajika, who will be defending his title against Jayson Mama from the Philippines at the Emperor’s Palace on Saturday, 9 August. – Monwabisi Jimlongo
