Ulifuna ngabovu ibhande uPhakade e-USA kowaseDRC
Kujwayelekile ukuthi iqembu okanye umuntu uma eyomela isifundazwe okanye izwe athole ukwesekwa ukuze ezokhuthazeka ekutheni enze kahle phambili, kodwa akubanga njalo kusomankomane wasoThweba KwaXimba uThabiso “The Rock” Mchunu.
Lo somankomane uze walifulathela elakuleli ngeledlule kungekho ukutshengisa ukuthi uyesekwa izinhlangano zezemidlalo, KwaZulu-Natal naseNingizimu Afrika yonkana.
UMchunu uzozama ukuhlwitha ibhande leWBC Cruiserweight u-Ilungu “Junior” Makabu odabuka eDemocratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Le mpi izokuba mhla zingama-29 kwephezulu, izobanjelwa ePackard Music Hall, e-Ohio, e-USA.
Ibhande leWBC lingelinye elibalwa namakhulu emhlabeni kulo mdlalo, amanye kuba i-International Boxing Federation (IBF), iWorld Boxing Association (WBA) neleWorld Boxing Organization (WBO). UMohamed Ali ungomunye wosomankomane abaseke baliphatha ibhande leWBC.
ElaboHlanga libe nengxoxo ekhethekile noyise, u-Alex Mchunu ubezwakala ukuthi lolu daba lumphathe kabuhlungu. “Uma ngikhuluma iqiniso lokhu okwenzakalile akungiphathanga kabi kakhulu, ngoba lesi simo sesimehlakalele kaningi uThabiso. Ngikhuluma nje wathi eyolwela ibhande leWBO kumele engabe uyesekwa kodwa lutho akwenzekanga. Kusukela esalwa esibhakeleni sama-amesha ubehlukumezeka, kodwa konke okubi okumehlakalelayo akumenzanga wadikila ngoba kuyimanje ungusomankomane ohlonishwa kakhulu” kusho uMchunu.
Lo makadebona kwezamankomane, uthe kungakhulunywa nje, kodwa mhlampe vele abantu ababhekene nalo msebenzi abawazi kuqashwe abantu abangazi lutho ngezemidlalo.
Uphinde wabalula ukuthi ngonyaka wezi-2015 uMakabu ezobhekana noMchunu, kwafika uMengameli waseDRC nokuyinto enkulu.
Ngonyaka wezi-2006 kwaba nguyena kuphela owabe ebuye nendondo eDenmark kwababemele iNingizimu Afrika kodwa ngonyaka wezi-2008 eya emqhudelwaneni we-Olympics wabhekana nesifo esifanayo sokuzitshwa nje. UMakabu ocijwa uDamien Durandt, kuzoba ngokwesibili evikela lesi sicoco selokhu asithatha elwa noMichal Cieslak wasePoland, ngowezi-2020. Ugcine ukusivikela ngempumelelo ku-Olanrewaju Durodola waseNigeria ngoZibandlela wezi-2020.
UThabiso Mchunu okulindeleke ukuthi alishiye phansi ibhande leWBC Silver uma enqoba kuMakabu, uhambe nethimba labaqeqeshi bakhe uShaun noGeorge Smith, uJerry Thomas nozakwabo uThulani “Thulz” Mbenge.
Kuyimanje ungcweka no-Albert Ramirez waseVenezuela naqashelwe bona ngabaphathi bakhe. URamirez akaconsi phansi ezweni lakhe. Ubemele izwe lakhe ku-Olympic Games abengowezi-2016, eRio da Janeiro, eBrazil esalwa kuma-amesha.
Esibhakeleni esikhokhelayo ungene ngoNhlangulana wangowezi-2018. Nakhona uyaqhubeka nokuvulela induku kuLight Heavyweight. Ezimpini ezilishumi asazilwile uzinqobe zonke ngomngqimuzo womlalisa phansi.
Impi kaMakabu noThabiso Mchunu impindamshaye, njengoba ngonyaka wezi-2015 batholana phezulu kweyokuhlungela ukulwela yona belu iWBC Cruiserweight. Kule mpi eyayiqhathwe iLudonga Boxing Promotions, uMakabu wanqoba.
“Ngibonga abaphathi nje bakhe uThabiso ukuthi bakwazile ukuba behlangane bekwazi ukuhlanganisa ukuthi ahambe ngempumelelo kuleli. Ukube nje ubephethwe imina ngabe kukhulunywa okunye impela, lento ibuhlungu ngoba abantu abaphethe izinhlangano okumele engabe ziyamuseka aboHlanga. Ukube ungumuntu welinye ibala ubezosekwa ngendlela eyisimanga. Noma ukube ubengowoHlanga ozalwa usopolitiki ngabe akaconsi phansi uThabiso, ngabe usuku nosuku kukhulunywa ngaye emaphepheni, nakomabonakude. Ngikhuluma nje kunabantu abangazi ukuthi kunempi azoyilwa ngoba akukhulunywa ngayo kakhulu” Kubeka uyise.
Uthe yize kunalesi sigameko kodwa indodana yakhe uyayethemba ukuthi nakanjani izobuya nalo ibhande.
“UThabiso imina engimazi kangcono kunawowonke umuntu, angingabazi ukuthi uzosinqoba isicoco. Ngikhumbula ngowe-1996 uSugar Boy Malinga enqoba ibhande leWBC ngamtshela uThabiso ngathi uyena owesibili ozophatha leli bhande. Ngonyaka wezi-2000 uDingaan Thobela waba ngowesibili ukunqoba leli bhande. Ngabe sengisho ngithi uzoba ngowesithathu ozoliphatha, ngomhla zingama-29 lelo phupho lami leminyaka lizofezeka ngaphandle kokungabaza” kusho.”
Ugcizelele ngokuthi: “Ngiyafisa lempi iboniswe kumabonakude, yikhona abantu bezobona isibhakela esinenkosi phakathi. Indlela azolwa ngayo izoshiya abantu abaningi bengawuvali umlomo. Uzoba ngowokuqala lapha eNingizimu Afrika ukuphatha amabhande amathathu eleWBO, ele-IBF neleWBC” usho kanje.
UThabiso esibhakeleni esikhokhelwayo uselwe izimpi engama-28 wanqoba ezingama-23 ezili-13 uzinqobe ngomngqimuzo womlalisa phansi uhlulwe kwezinhlanu. Usenqobe izimpi ezine kulandelana ugcine eshaye u-Evgeny Tishchenko waseRussia, ngoMbasa wanyakenye evikela iWBC Silver. UMakabu yena uselwe izimpi ezingama-30 unqobe ezingama-28, wahlulwa kwezimbili, ezingama-25 wazinqoba ngomngqimuzo womlalisa phansi usehlulwe kwezimbili.
