Despite looking for an early birthday present, Simamkele Tutsheni feels privileged to be part of a history-making tournament, which is going to be promoted by Golden Gloves.
Tutsheni will be trading blows with Cape Town homegirl Caleigh Swart as they will be fighting for the vacant International Boxing Organisation (IBO) All-Africa female junior-featherweight title at the Emperors Palace in Kempton Park, Ekurhuleni, this coming Saturday.
“I’m feeling excited as I will be fighting against Caleigh Swart on the ninth of August. This is history in the making as it is the first time that four female boxers from Cape Town fight in the same tournament in Gauteng,” Tutsheni remarked.
Tutsheni, who turns 24 on Sunday, 31 August, further said: “This is a big platform. I trained very hard for this fight and I’m taking the title home.”
Rated number one in the South African female junior-featherweight division, Tutsheni has won all her seven fights with three of those wins coming from knockouts.
And the 2023 Prospect of the Year nominee last fought when she defeated Zimbabwean Pamela Matunga in September.
Swart, meanwhile, has one stoppage in five victories and has already fought twice this year. She defeated Nolwazi Mabaso in April and Seani Morite almost six months ago.
Interestingly, both Tutsheni and Swart have fought and beaten the same opponents – Matunga and Anam Xuza.
Tutsheni’s fight against Swart is going to form part of Golden Gloves’ Mzansi Magic tournament, which is headlined by an IBO junior-bantamweight title contest between the defending champion Ricardo Malajika and Jayson Mama from the Philippines. – Monwabisi Jimlongo
