Getting out of inactivity and a strong desire to return to world ratings were the reasons behind former national champion Azinga ‘Golden Boy’ Fuzile’s decision to agree to a fight with Asanda Gingqi in a duel between Duncan Village and Mdantsane boxers.
Duncan Village-born Fuzile’s fistic skills will be tested when he comes up against Gingqi, the reigning South African junior-lightweight champion, in a non-title bout in East London on Friday, 24 April. And this is going to be the former South African featherweight titlist’s first fight since his loss to Kazakh boxer Sultan Zaurbek in an International Boxing Federation (IBF) Intercontinental junior-lightweight title contest in Kazakhstan early in April last year.
“Azinga has not fought in almost a year while Gingqi has been active. Gingqi is in a better position compared to Azinga. I don’t want to see Azinga continuing being inactive thus we took the fight. Azinga lives off boxing and he needed this fight,” Fuzile’s manager Mlandeli Tengimfene said.
“This is a very important fight for both boxers. And we are going to write to the international bodies asking them to rate the winner in their top 15 ratings. Remember, I still have intentions to take Azinga to a world title fight. Azinga is getting a better purse than he would if he was going to be involved in a title contest. Truth be told, we had no option other than taking this fight.”
Meanwhile, Gingqi has had a seven-fight winning streak since he suffered his first career loss during a fight against Jeff Magagane, who dethroned him as SA featherweight champion when they fought at the Portuguese Hall, Turffontein, Johannesburg in September 2022.
Gingqi’s last fight was a points win over Lubabalo Kweyi when he made a third successful defence of his SA junior-lightweight title at the Orient Theatre, East London, in December 2025. – Monwabisi Jimlongo
