More than two years of inactivity will finally come to an end when national champion Sharadene Fortuin dust the cobwebs and fights against Babalwa Nonqonqotho in less than two months’ time.
Fortuin will be making the third defence of her South Africa female bantamweight crown when she faces Nonqonqotho at the Kenilworth Racecourse in Cape Town on Saturday, 6 December.
Seymour-born Fortuin has been action starved since her last fight, which was a win over Zimbabwean boxer Patience Mastara at the Meropa Sun Casino, Polokwane, in September 2023.
“I’m glad to have Sharadene back. It’s been a while, especially not defending the SA title. It’s always good when there’s a challenger,” Fortuin’s trainer Lonwabo Witbooi remarked.
Fortuin has been an SA champion since she dethroned now retired boxer Melissa Miller in Augut 2021. And she defended her title twice against the same Miller.
She was due to have made her ring return against Zimbabwean opponent Kudakwashe Chiwandare in an African Boxing (ABU) SADC female bantamweight title fight at the Country Club in Harare, Zimbabwe, two months ago.
Unfortunately, the fight collapsed after Chiwandare sustained a tibia fracture during a Women’s Northern Regional Soccer League match between her team Scottland and Harare City Cubs early in August.
Meanwhile, Nonqonqotho, who’s rated number one in South Africa, lost her last four fights with the most recent loss being against Thema Zuma at the Scenery Park Hall in East London six months ago.
Actually, Nonqonqotho has not won a fight since her March 2023 victory over former SA female flyweight champion Noxolo Makanavu in a non-title contest.
