By Monwabisi Jimlongo
With his attempt to lead Hekkie ‘Hexecutioner’ Budler to glory once more having fallen short last Monday, award-winning boxing trainer Colin ‘Nomakanjani’ Nathan has now changed his focus.
After Budler suffered a ninth round stoppage loss to World Boxing Council (WBC) and World Boxing Association (WBA) ‘Super’ junior-flyweight champion Kenshiro ‘The Amazing Boy’ Teraji at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan, Nathan returned to South Africa to continue preparing Lerato ‘Lights Out’ Dlamini for his next assignment.
Dlamini is scheduled to fight against Tomoki Kameda at the Ota-City General Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan, on Saturday, 7 October. Initially, this fight was just a 10 rounds international bout, but it has since been upgraded to a 12 rounds eliminator for the number two position on the International Boxing Federation (IBF) featherweight ratings.
“I got the bout elevated for an elimination for the number two position. It’s gonna be over 12 rounds,” Nathan, who is the chief trainer at Hot Box Gym, revealed.
Currently, Welkom-born Dlamini is rated eighth by the IBF while Kameda is three places above him.
“Bernie (Pailman) and Lerato are leaving for Japan this coming weekend. I will only leave on Monday next week,” Nathan said.
Kameda is a formidable opponent, who is an erstwhile World Boxing Organisation (WBO) bantamweight champion with 40 wins (22 stoppages) and three losses compared to Dlamini’s record of 19 victories (11 knockouts) and two defeats.
This fight is going to be promoted by Koki Kameda’s Kameda Promotions where unbeaten Japanese boxer Yudai Shigeoka fights against IBF minimumweight champion Panya Pradabsri also known as Petchmanee CP Freshmart from Thailand.
The 26-year-old Shigeoka has stopped five of his seven victims while Pradabsri is a veteran of 40 wins with 24 knockouts and a loss.
