He may not be your “Sugar” Ray Leonard in terms of quick hands, sharp eyesight and skills or possess the high punching rate of Marvin “Marvellous” Hagler but one thing is certain about Innocent “Tycoon” Mantengu, he has a strong will and cannot be mentally undermined.
It has seen him through situations where all odds were stacked against him. He ignored all the noise from the big crowd at the Orient Theatre in East London and did what he had come to do and emerged victorious against Siphosethu Mvula for the IBF All Africa junior-featherweight belt.
Mantengu from Mtubatuba in KwaZulu-Natal found himself in a similar situation at Kagiso Memorial Hall where a loud crowd booed every attempt he made to whack local fighter Thato “Captain Charisma" Bonokoane for the vacant SA title.
But Mantengu was not fazed. He focused on the job at hand and in the end silenced his distractors and walked away with the national belt. The two fighters will be meeting for the third time for Bonokoane’s WBF Intercontinental title on April 8 in the main supporting bout to the national junior lightweight championship fight between holder Tshifhiwa Munyai and Aphiwe Mboyiya.
These fights will be organised by J4 Joy Boxing Promotions at the Banquet Hall in Middelburg, Mpumalanga, where local businessman Jacob Mnisi will be making his debut as a professional boxing promoter at home.
He has already introduced himself to the fight game by hosting a triple championship event at Sandton Convention Centre. Mantengu has made a promise to take the WBF Intercontinental belt from Bonokoane.
“Come rain, come shine, a new champion will be crowned. I don’t like talking too much. God gave me this talent to feed myself and my family,” said the man who has two wives. Mantengu is trained in Johannesburg by homeboy and former pro boxer Samson Ndlovu.
Arnold “Squire” Nododile, CEO of J4Joy Promotions, said they would have a press conference tomorrow at The Ridge Hotel where Mnisi will make a big announcement, which he said would be sweet music to the ears of religious boxing followers in Mpumalanga.
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