Myeza's loss won't define him as a boxer

Defeat in a Commonwealth junior flyweight boxing title will not define who Sphelele Myeza is as a boxer.

That is how best the boxer’s manager Michael Sediane feels about his charge’s 11th-round stoppage loss to Matt Windle at Premier Banqueting Suite, Burnamantoffs in Leeds, England, on Saturday night.

“The fight was in the bag; that’s the first thing,” he said. "Secondly, if local people begin to rally in terms of noise and screams behind a visiting boxer, that tells you the story. It was like we were at home yet we were hundreds of thousands of kilometres away from home. I even doubt there was one South African in that arena but the boxer who was enjoying the crowd’s support was Sphelele.

“If you listen to the commentary, you will understand what I mean that the loss does not reflect the character of Sphelele.

“We made a mistake and we paid the price. It happened to the old-time greats. I mean, John Tate played with Mike Weaver for 14 rounds and made a mistake with only a minute to go in the one round." That challenge ended Tate's reign as the WBA heavyweight champion in 1980.

"We also got caught, but I can tell you, that like Tate, fans were impressed by what Sphelele was doing.

”I had a meeting with the promoter after the tournament and we agreed that Sphelele will be back there in February. Tiisetso Modisadife [Gauteng flyweight champion] will also be involved in that tournament.”

Windle went down, got up and got caught again, prompting referee Kevin Parker to intervene. That was his first stoppage in seven wins against four losses and a draw while 24-year-old Myeza, whose corner was manned by trainer Vus’Umuzi Malinga, suffered his first loss after eight straight wins.

Sediane said the 32-year-old fighter from Birmingham came out aggressively in the 11th round and caught his boxer with only 40 seconds before the round ended.

“We were three minutes away from glory,” said Sediane.