Celebrity boxing champion NaakMusiQ has revealed that he took a four-week break from training due to chest problems in the run-up to his much anticipated bout with Cassper Nyovest in Sun City at the weekend.
Speaking on Marawa Sports Worldwide on SowetanLive on Monday, NaakMusiQ, real name Anga Makubalo, said his doctor only gave him the green light for training on March 27.
“We actually thought of sharing this before the fight but then again we felt it will be seen as some excuse or something so we agreed that we will share it after the fight," he said.
"I had a hectic training session with [trainer] Xolisani “Nomeva” Ndongeni and I was not feeling well after that. I went to the doctor who said I had a chest infection. I was scared that if I trained that could lead to a heart attack, so I stayed home and did nothing. Nomeva was very unhappy.
“When we began going hard, Nomeva made sure that we trained twice a day to make up for that lost four weeks and it was not easy. I mean now I understand and actually respect what boxers go through when preparing for fights. It’s very tough and painful,” he said.
Ndongeni said: “The opposition knew nothing about Anga’s health issue; they were under the impression that we are training. I thought Anga was going to say to me the fight is off. He added the bout was planned for eight rounds but he protested after they had gone through, so it was agreed that it goes five.”
NaakMusiQ hopes the bout will help to revive the sport of boxing in SA.
“My love for boxing has grown and I would want to contribute to its revival any way possible."
NaakMusiQ – an actor and musician – had former world boxing champion Ndongeni shouting instructions in his corner while former SA junior bantamweight champion Athenkosi Dumezweni manned the corner for Nyovest.
“Let us get artists together with boxing to fill all those arenas. Let's merge the two; let us make it now. Don’t lose the momentum,” said NaakMusiQ, whose celebrity fight contested in two minutes per round attracted about 3,000 fans.
“I feel great to have been part of the contribution to revive boxing. My love for boxing has grown. The youth born in this era would want to be YouTubers but after watching Saturday’s fight they may want to box,” he said.
That is exactly what multimillionaire YouTuber Logan Paul has done. This social media personality who has 7.5bn viewers lost on points over eight rounds to old-time great boxer Floyd Mayweather Junior in what they termed an exhibition bout last year.
Nyovest and NaakMusiQ wore 12-ounce gloves which are safer but heavier than most gloves.
Ronald Lamola – the minister of justice and correctional services who attended the tournament where sports presenter Robert Marawa was among the list of distinguished guests – said: “ We had a very great experience. It was a great night. My moment was when they both fell.”
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