He might have lost his last four fights, but ageing former South African champion and 2004 Olympian Bongani ‘Wonderboy’ Mahlangu is not ready to throw in the towel on his boxing career as he wants to continue fighting.
This was revealed by the boxer’s younger brother and trainer Sandile Mahlangu as he dismissed the rumours that the erstwhile SA junior-featherweight champion, who suffered a sixth round loss to greenhorn Kaya Mlata last month, was on the verge of retiring.
“No, there’s no such thing. Bongani is still continuing with boxing. We are just resting now and we will be back,” Sandile said.
The 46-year-old Mahlangu, who won the SA junior-featherweight title twice, is the only active boxer whose son is also a professional fighter. His son Bheki Maitse is an African Boxing Union (ABU) SADC champion and is rated fifth in the SA featherweight division.
He first won the SA title after he defeated Siviwe Hasheni by a ninth round stoppage at the Mdantsane Indoor Sports Centre in March 2015. And after making two successful defences, Mahlangu lost the title to Ludumo Lamati in April 2017.
It took Mahlangu just over five years before he regained the title following a sixth round stoppage win over Ayabonga Sonjica at the Orient Theatre, KuGompo City, in July 2022. And he then lost it to Siyabulela Hem in September 2024. – Monwabisi Jimlongo
