Fresh from guiding Ricardo ‘Magic’ Malajika to World Boxing Council (WBC) junior-bantamweight title glory, a date clash has forced veteran trainer, Manny Fernandes, to choose between his two top boxers.
With Charlton Malajika and Ndabezinhle Phiri fighting on the same night in South Africa and England respectively, Fernandes has chosen to remain at the Emperors Palace in Kempton Park, Ekurhuleni, on Saturday, 21 November.
This is the same day when Malajika will be fighting against Landile Ngxeke in a vacant International Boxing Organisation (IBO) bantamweight title contest and Phiri will meet Brandon Lee Daord in a fight for the IBO flyweight crown.
“Phiri has signed a contract and his fight is on the same day as Charlton’s. So, I’m gonna find out who we will send with him. We will get him ready for the fight,” Fernandes said.
Fernandes has had a very successful year so far as he led two of his boxers to WBC glory. He guided Siyakholwa Kuse to the WBC minimumweight title after he outpointed Melvin Jerusalem from the Philippines in May before leading Ricardo to a win over Tomoya Tsuboi in Tokyo, Japan, on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Phiri from Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, was due to have fought against Daord earlier last month, but the fight had to be rescheduled after the Liverpudlian picked up an injury at training. – Monwabisi Jimlongo
