Poverty and boxing may not be synonymous in a lot of things but still people should put it in their mentality that when life puts them on the brink of nothingness the only thing they must do is to punch their way out of it like boxers do – a wise man once advised.
Manny Pacquiao is a product of poverty. He sold cigarettes and fought for small purses in order to survive. Eventually, he achieved greatness in boxing and became the only eight-division world champion in history.
It is reported that his fights generated millions of dollars in revenue, and Forbes had him as the second- highest paid athlete in the world in 2015.
One boxer who should look up to this Filipino icon is Lusanda Komanisi – according to Happy Tewu, the new promoter in SA. He says he is on a mission to assist Komanisi and other newcomers to do well and also to enable them to look after themselves and their families during and after boxing.
Komanisi – who has previously held the SA and IBO featherweight belts – is on a rebound after hitting an all-time low after losing his IBO belt in 2017.
“What I heard from his manager was that Komanisi ended up drowning his sorrow in heavy drinking,” said Tewu, who added he had instilled some sense of belief in the boxer from Mdantsane.
Komanisi bounced back with a seventh-round stoppage of Sanele Msimango in 2019 before topping Tewu’s maiden tourney in East London, where Komanisi knocked out Siphenathi Qampi in the sixth round to win the ABU SADC belt in December 2020.
Komanisi will defend against Sinethemba Bam at Nutting Hall, a gymnasium in East London where Tewu Boxing Promotions will stage a tournament on July 10.
Komanisi has knocked out 20 of his 23 victims against six losses, while Bam – a former IBF Youth junior featherweight holder from the Western Cape – has a single loss in 13 fights with five knockouts.
Topping the bill will be Siyakholwa Kuse in the first defence of the SA mini-flyweight belt against Bangile Nyangani. Tewu says there will also be some bouts featuring debutants.
“I want to play a role in uplifting boxing; the more active they stay, the better their emotional, physical and financial situations become,” said Tewu. “My intention is to try and revive careers of such boxers and also profile young talent. The only thing boxers know better is fighting, so I am trying, even though without any financial backup, to do my best.”
He said he remunerates boxers accordingly, adding he pays new comers R2,500 per round while purses of seniors like Komanisi depend on negotiations.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.