Kwakungathi wayesazi ukuba uzakulwa noRoarke Knapp kumlo wakhe olandelayo, njengokuba uPhikelelani ‘Stinger’ Khumalo wenjenjeya ukuya e-Emperors Palace eyokubukela uKnapp ngexesha wayesilwa noBrandon Thysse kulendawo eseKempton Park, Ekurhuleni, ngoMatshi kulonyaka.
UKhumalo wabona ngokwaneleyo kulomlo nangona nje uKnapp wanqunyanyiswa nguThysse kumjikelo wethoba kumlo weentshinga ezimbini, eyoMzantsi Afrika neyeWorld Boxing Council (WBC) kudidi lwejunior-middleweight.
Ngoku uKhumalo uzakubuyela e-Emperors Palace kumlo noKnapp xa ezakube ekhusela intshinga yakhe yoMzantsi Afrika isihlandlo sesibini ngoMgqibelo umhla wamashumi amabini ananye kuNovemba. UKhumalo wanqumamisa uDonJuan van Heerden kumjikelo wokuqala ukugqibela kwakhe ukulwa e-Emperors Palace ngethuba babesilwela intshinga yeli neye-African Boxing Union (ABU) kudidi lwemiddleweight ngoNovemba nyakenye.
“Ndizayokumbetha. Lo ngumlo endawubonayo ukuba uyeza, yiyo lonto ndandiphaya ngethuba esilwa noBrandon. Ndandiyazi ukuba obethiweyo uzakunyukela kudidi lwemiddleweight. Ndiwulindele ngamehlo abomvu lomlo,” utshilo uKhumalo.
UKhumalo, owayengumdlali weLamontville Golden Arrows neMaritzburg United, akakalwi ukususela mhla wabetha uVan Heerden ngoNovemba kulonyaka ophelileyo.
Ukanti, okunikisa umdla kakhulu kukuba yosixhenxe imilo yokugqibela kaKnapp yaye yaphela msinyane. UKnapp waphumelela kwemine, waze wabethwa kwemithathu. – Monwabisi Jimlongo
