Weluleka afisele uThe Rock uSugar Boy empini yangempelasonto
UThulani “Sugar Boy” Malinga ongumakadebona kwezamankomane uxwayise uThabiso “The Rock” Mchunu ngaphambi kwempi yakhe enkulu ezokuba kule mpelasonto.
UMchunu uzozama ukuhlwitha ibhande u-Ilungu “Junior” Makabu odabuka eDemocratic Republic of Congo (DRC), azotholana naye empini yeWorld WBC Cruiserweight. Le mpi izobanjelwa ePackard Music Hall, e-Ohio, e-USA.
Leli bhande leWBC lingelinye elibalwa namakhulu amabhande emhlabeni kulo mdlalo, amanye ele-International Boxing Federation (IBF), eleWorld Boxing Association (WBA) nele-World Boxing Organization (WBO). UMohamed Ali ungomunye wosomankomane abaseke baliphatha ibhande leWBC.
Ekhuluma nelaboHlanga uMalinga odabuka eLadysmith uthe: “UMchunu ungosomankomane onamandla kakhulu kodwa uma engena eringini ngifuna angene nomunye umcabango. Angifuni engene enomcabango wokuthi ufuna ukunqoba emzuliswaneni wokuqala, ngoba uma kungenzeki lokho uzoba nenkinga. Engikufuna kuyena ukuthi alwe ngendlela yokuthi noma kuthiwa kwenzakalani uyakwazi ukubhekana nabo bonke ubunzima kuze kube isekugcineni” kusho uMalinga.
UMalinga uphethe irekhodi lokuba ngowokuqala eNingizimu Afrika ukunqoba ibhande leWBC nalinqoba ngonyaka we-1996 mhla zimbili kuNdasa, waliphuca uNigel Benn empini eyabe ibanjelwe eTelewest Arena, eNewcastle, e-England.
Eqhuba uthe: “Angingabazi ukuthi uzoba owesithathu ukunqoba leli bhande eNingizimu Afrika, abe ngowesibili KwaZulu-Natal. Indlela alwa ngayo uMchunu iyangigculisa ukuthi engayinqoba lempi ezobe ingelula neze. Ngifuna azithembe ukuthi emva kwempi uyena ozobe ephethe leli bhande” usho kanje.
Omunye oseke waphatha leli bhande kuleli uDingaan “The Rose of Soweto” Thobela, yena owalinqoba ngonyaka wezi-2000.
UMalinga uthe uyibonile into eyenzekile ukuthi angavaleliswa ngendlela uMchunu, kodwa lokho akafuni kumthene amandla.
“Mina nginqoba ibhande lami ngangilwa nabantu ababili, ilowo engangibhekene naye eringini kanye nalabo ababengifisela okubi. NoMchunu naye njengoba ebhekene nalesi simo nje engakwazi ukuthi aqumbe phansi uMakabu, aphinde ajabhise nalabo abangayiboni impi yakhe njengebalulekile. Kubuhlungu ukuthi lapha eNingizimu Afrika asibasekeli abantu bethu kunalokho siseka abangaphandle noma ondlebe zikhanya ilanga. Mina empini yami nginqoba ibhande leWBC, ngatshela uphromotha wami ukuthi emva kwempi uzobe esengumqeqeshi wompetha nebala lokho kwenzeka” kusho uMalinga.
Ugcizelele ngokuthi: “Uma uNkulunkulu into ekunike yona akekho ongakuphuca okanye ame endleleni yakho. UMchunu unekhono eliyisimanga, ukuthi akasekwanga lapha eNingizimu Afrika akusho ukuthi ngeke anqobe abuye nalo ibhande. Namanje ngisasho, kuzosa ngoMsombuluko sinompetha weWBC” usho kanje.
UMalinga oneminyaka yobudala engama-66 wathatha umhlalaphansi kulo mdlalo, eselwe izimpi ezingama-57 wanqoba ezingama-44 ezili-19 wazinqoba ngomngqimuzo womlalisaphansi, wahlulwa kwezili-13.
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.
UMchunu esibhakeleni esikhokhelwayo uselwe izimpi engama-28 wanqoba ezingama-23 ezili-13 uzinqobe ngomnqimuzo womlalisa phansi uhlulwe kwezinhlanu. Ugcine eshaye u-Evgeny Tishchenko waseRussia, ngoMbasa wanyakenye evikela iWBC Silver. UMakabu yena uselwe izimpi ezingama-30 unqobe ezingama-28 ezingama-25 wazinqoba ngomnqimuzo womlalisa phansi usehlulwe kwezimbili.
