Given a choice, Mandilakhe Sontlaba wouldn’t like any of today’s fighters to experience what experienced while he was still a boxer as he begins his journey as a boxing promoter.
And with that in mind, Sontlaba hopes that he will be able to improve boxers’ lives starting from those who are going to fight in his debut tournament next month.
Drawing from his own experience, Sontlaba has pledged to change the landscape for fighters by improving both their earning potential and their activity levels in the ring.
“I boxed for several years and in all that time, across 12 bouts, the biggest purse I ever received was R7000. After that, I was offered a 10 rounds fight for only R5000. That day I decided to quit boxing because the money simply didn’t match the work and sacrifice required,” Sontlaba remarked.
Determined to create better opportunities for others, Sontlaba said that his promotion aims to stage no fewer than three tournaments per year.
“The goal is to hold three or four tournaments annually. Even if we fall short, we want our boxers to stay active. Regular fights help them grow and continue earning,” he said.
The promotional outfit’s main funder Samkelo Mxunyelwa from Lunika shared Sontlaba’s vision of holistic athlete development.
“We want to help boxers beyond the once-off payments they get after a fight. Our aim is to see them study or acquire skills so they can build stable lives. We want them on our payroll, not only when they fight, but every month. We’ve done this successfully with rugby players we sponsor and we believe it’s possible in boxing, too,” Mxunyelwa said.
Meanwhile, Lakhe Boxing Promotions has lined up a nine-bout tournament at Hemingways in East London on Tuesday, 16 December.
This show is going to be headlined by a clash between former South African featherweight champion Zolisa Batyi and Awonke Tini in an eight rounds bout.
The tournament will also see the return of erstwhile SA minimumweight and junior-flyweight titlist Siphamandla Baleni, who faces Abongile Jacob in a six rounds contest.
Also on the card is former African Boxing Union (ABU) champion Lusizo Manzana against Aphiwe Rasmeni in a six-round bantamweight clash. – Lukhanyo Engilane
