Sabelo Ndwandwe winning the Gauteng and International Boxing Organisation (IBO) Africa featherweight belts after just five professional fights is seen by his peers as a success.
But the real victory for the 22-year-old champion has been staying clean for almost two years after getting involved in taking drugs, which saw him drop out of school in grade 10.
Based in Dieplsoot, Johannesburg, Ndwandwe, who is nicknamed “Sub Zero”, credits his mother, Nozipho, and trainers Mthobisi Buthelezi and Duko Kim for getting him off drugs.
On Saturday, Ndwandwe continued his journey of repaying the trio by capturing the IBO Africa featherweight belt in what was his only fifth professional fight.
With veteran trainer Sechaba Maboya, Buthelezi and Kim barking instructions, Ndwandwe dethroned the equally competent defending champion, Lindokuhle “Linda” Khuzwayo, in what was a finely balanced give-and-take contest at the Galleria in Sandton.
It could have gone either way — judge Pumeza Zinakile scored it 96-94 for Ndwandwe, while Simon Mokadi made it 96-94 for Khuzwayo.
The deciding score was Sylvia Mokaila’s 97-93 for Ndwandwe, whose career is managed by Derick Weimer.
The two boxers’ combustible, non-stop action earned them R25,000 each from promoter Geraldine Lerena, whose Aquila Boxing Promotions staged the tournament.
Meanwhile ring veterans Jackson “M3″ Chauke and Gideon “Hard Core” Buthelezi gave fans six rounds of pure boxing excitement.
In the end it was Chauke who triumphed while Tumelo Mphahlele, Liam Fox, Gary van Staden, and Kaine Fourie won their bouts with stoppages.
Mphahlele and Fox earned bonuses of R10,000 each, while Van Staden and Fourie walked away with an extra R25,000 and R20,000, respectively.
