Boxing trainer Ncedo Cecane refuses to let Siphamandla ‘Toytoy’ Baleni become the stepping stone of unbeaten Zimbabwean boxer Beaven Sibanda as the two boxers’ fight is approaching.
Mthatha-born Baleni and Sibanda are scheduled to square up against each other in an eight rounds bout at the Emperor’s Palace in Kempton Park on Saturday next week.
“I have not seen Toytoy being this committed before a fight. His commitment to the job at hand is very impressive. I really don’t know Sibanda, but I can say that he must think again because he’s not going to win this fight,” Cecane said.
The former SA flyweight champion added: “Remember, Toytoy is a fighter, not a boxer. You can’t change him. Just improve him as a fighter and also improve his defence.”
Baleni, an erstwhile SA minimumweight and junior-flyweight titlist, last fought here in SA when he defeated Mzamo Makhipheni by a stoppage at the Orient Theatre in East London in December 2022.
The former champion, who is rated 15th by the World Boxing Council (WBC), lost to unbeaten Hasanboy Dusmatov from Uzbekistan in Russia in November last year. – Monwabisi Jimlongo
