As the showers blessed Shelley Road Street on Saturday night, boxing’s highs and lows were thrown in the ring.
Sanctioned by Boxing South Africa (BSA), organised by Maxim Boxing Promotions, a new provincial mini flyweight champion was crowned, at the Blackpool Hall in Salt River, on Sunday morning.
Hout Bay’s Sandiso Centane won via a split decision, against Khayelitsha’s Asavela Peter, after a 10-round drama, with a knock-down and points deduction.
The ring announcer read the scores a split decision – the judges, Oscar Noels scored the bout 95-94, Sipho Ndongeni scored it 91-97 and Rachel Kamko scored it 95-93.
It was a tale of two fighters walking a similar route, with each one’s intention to become champion, with the perks that come with it.
Unbeaten, Peter had the height and the youth going into the fight.
Peter believes he won all the rounds, which include a knock-down in round six and a points deduction in the eighth round, against Centane.
“I was controlling the fight from round two to round four. I hit him with combinations and jabs. In round six, I hit him, he got a cut on top of his eye. I hit him again with an uppercut, left-hook, combination. He fell. He got an eight-count,” said Peter.
“In round seven I focused on boxing. The instruction from the corner was to go for an in-fight. We caught him by surprise. He was holding me. In round eight, his points were deducted. The plan worked. I did according to the corner. I wasn’t hitting him in round 10, I was showing him I was winning the fight,” said Peter.
It was Peter’s first professional bout stretching to 10 rounds. His three previous fights ended as technical knock-out wins and a unanimous points decision victory.
Peter’s trainer, Zola Koti, from Future Champs in Philippi, said they are appealing to BSA for a review of the fight and the scorecards.
“We lodged a complaint to BSA via Mzoli Tempi. We demand a fight review. There was no TV, but YouTube was there. We suspect there was something wrong with the scorecards,” said Koti.
Wounded, from his previous endeavours to the Eastern Cape, Centane had the experience of two wins and five defeats going into the fight.
“I’m super excited. This was overdue. I know I started very low, my boxing career. I’ve been coming from a good, good amateur background. It is just that I got into the pro stages thinking that I already know better. I needed that tough moment for this day to come. I’ve been pushing. I was humbled, pushing hard. So now it is my time,” he said.
The new champion, Centane said he won the belt for Imizamo Yethu.
“I’m super happy. There is a lot that is happening in Imizamo Yethu. This, for me, is not even about me, it is about the community.
“There is a lot happening there. I think this will motivate a lot of people from Hout Bay, where they decide things or whatever that is happening, they can do the right thing no matter what is happening in life. Everything is possible, no matter what,” said Centane.
In the supporting bout, Hanover Park’s Nasrullah Nazier was handed his first professional defeat by Bruceley Mugutso via a technical knockout in the third round.
“It was a hard fight but I will be back, Inshallah. The first round was good, I caught him with the hook and dropped him. I think he was a bit stronger on the night. You live and you learn, Inshallah,“ said Nazier.
Former two-time African WBO champion, Marios Matamba Boutoumbi, from The Ring in Sea Point, won on points to make it 13 wins and two losses to his professional tally.
The event started later than expected. The organiser, Allen Chizungu, said he is open to constructive feedback from the spectators on the outcome of the boxing event.
