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Winning the African Boxing Union (ABU) middleweight belt, his fourth boxing title in total, should convince sceptics that Phikelelani Khumalo is the real deal.
The 27-year-old former footballer began fighting professionally in 2020 and has been under constant scrutiny since he swapped soccer boots for boxing gloves five years ago.
People have always doubted me, saying I’m a soccer player who has no boxing experience, yet I keep collecting belts
— Phikelelani “Stinger” Khumalo, boxer
Nicknamed “Stinger”, Khumalo from Mthwalume, a small village on the coast of KwaZulu-Natal, is trained by his father, Mlindelwa Khumalo.
The boxer’s growing career is guided by the accomplished No Doubt Management of successful trainer Colin “Nomakanjani” Nathan.
Khumalo first won the KwaZulu-Natal junior middleweight title in his eighth fight, defeating Ncebo Sibiya by a sixth-round stoppage.
“People still referred to me [as] a soccer player,” said the former striker for Golden Arrows and Maritzburg United who played in the MultiChoice Diski Challenge.
Khumalo added the ABU Sadc middleweight belt to his collection last September.
He pulverised Congolese Faustin “Bouckson Boom Boom” Bukasa in seven rounds.
“I thought we were done with the football story,” said Khumalo. “But it was not to be.”
On March 25, history was made when Khumalo was crowned the SA middleweight champion, his third belt – in his 10th fight.
Khumalo dethroned vastly experienced and hard-hitting champion John “Section 29″ Bopape via a lopsided points decision after 12 rounds.
Bopape from Alexandra township, east of Johannesburg, was down three times in rounds: two, four and 11.
Scores from three ringside judges – Thokozani Ncube, Eric Khoza and Hlengiwe Ngubane – were 117-108, 118-109 and 117-109.
“I was convinced that critics would give me credit,” said Khumalo.
Donjuan van Heerden from Meyerton became the mandatory challenger for Khumalo’s throne, and talks of the two fighting began making rounds.
“Iron Dragon”, which is Van Heerden’s ring name, won the ABU belt after punishing overmatched and inexperienced Dean Promnick in five rounds in May.
Khumalo attended that fight that was staged at Emperors Palace by Rodney Berman of Golden Gloves.
Khumalo said he anticipated that Van Heerden would call him out after his win.
“Indeed, he called me out, but security prevented me from getting inside the ring,” he said.
“I went to his dressing room, where I warned him to enjoy that belt while it lasted.”
Berman signed them up for the showdown, and Van Heerden’s manager, Colleen McAusland, told Sowetan that:
“This is the fight the public wants, and the beauty is that the fighters also want it.”
Khumalo said, “He [Van Heerden] brought [up] the football issue, and I told him that I will kick his balls.”
To which Van Heerden responded, “This will be the first time you kick balls of steel.”
Van Heerden failed to make the required weight limit on Friday, and he forfeited his ABU belt on the scale.
The fight went ahead, but no title was at stake for Van Heerden, who was overheard saying he would beat up the soccer player and mend his relations with Berman, which were strained by his failure to make weight.
A well-executed stabbing jab square in the solar plexus took all the wind out of Van Heerden, who winced and turned away.
Khumalo smelt blood and threw more shots as Van Heerden was backed into the ropes until he took a knee.
He got up while referee Toto Shweni counted but ultimately quit in one minute and 20 seconds.
“During our face-off, he challenged me to do a body punch, yet he quit after I jabbed his body,” said Khumalo.
“People have always doubted me, saying I am [a] soccer player who has no boxing experience, yet I keep collecting belts.
“The sooner they realise, the better because I’m just gonna keep proving them wrong.”
He intended to punish his foe while demonstrating good boxing skills in what was the battle of left-handers.
Nathan assisted Mlindelwa in the corner on Saturday evening when Khumalo added his sixth short-route win in nine victories against two losses.
Sowetan
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