By James Lupton
EAST London and boxing go hand in hand, like pie and mash. When you think of boxing in East London, you think of the green and gold of Repton Amateur Boxing Club, the Mecca of small hall boxing, by way of the York Hall and let’s not forget a cheeky pint at the Bow Bells after.
However, there’s another East London with fistic heritage on the southeastern coast of South Africa. Despite the locals not being fluent in pie and mash, when you mention IBF light-flyweight champion Sivenathi Nontshinga, they lick their lips in anticipation of the ‘Special One’s’ next outing.
Nontshinga has walked the walk, which more than qualifies him to talk the talk. The 25-year-old has boxed in Mexico, winning world championship bouts there twice. He travelled to Monte Carlo, incurring his sole knockout defeat to Adrian Curiel, only to avenge his loss three months later, stopping the Mexican in the 10th session. Now, he is in Japan, ready to defend his IBF world light-flyweight title when he faces Masamichi Yabuki.
Nontshinga may have become an overnight sensation in many people’s eyes, but his success has come through hard work and dedication over the last 16 years. The ‘Special One’ explained: “I started to fall in love with the sport of boxing at the age of nine, and then I’ve never looked back ever since then. I think the main reason why I started to fall in love with boxing is because it was the main sport in the area where I resided back then.
“I still remember the first time ever I set a step in the boxing gymnasium. I was with my uncle, he used to love boxing so much,” said Nontshinga.
“Sometimes on weekends, he would take me with my aunt together and go and watch boxing. So up until he decided like, okay, cool, now you’ve been going to boxing fights let’s just go to the boxing gymnasium, like a local boxing gymnasium. And then I went there and I fell in love with it. I loved the rhythm. I loved how people worked so hard and also it’s a one-man sport, so I was like, why not? Let me just go for it.”
The Newlands-born knockout specialist found himself head and shoulders above the rest as an amateur which left him contemplating turning professional whilst still a teenager. Once the amateur rulings had been amended and deemed head guards no longer necessary, the 18-year-old Nontshinga knew it was time to make the leap to the professional ranks.
“They decided to take off the head guards when they were fighting. Now I was starting to become an elite and I said, ‘No, I can’t get punched in the face if I can’t get paid,’ you feel me? The only difference in the professional ranks is that they’re not wearing vests and also the rounds are three minutes, which is something that I can grow into because it’s all about preparing yourself.
“So, I turned over at the age of 18 and also, obviously, in our culture, when you turn 18, you go to the mountains, you become a man, some sort of initiation school. So now you have to be able to take care of yourself. So I think that’s the main point as to why I came to turn professional at the age of 18.”
Becoming a man and becoming the breadwinner appealed to the fighter, albeit it wasn’t a smooth trajectory to success.
“I won’t lie. Things weren’t stable. I got everything that I wanted, that I wished for, but it would take some time in order for me to get it. Sometimes I would have to sacrifice this to get that one. I’ve been this person who doesn’t like to bother people, who doesn’t like to ask for help.
“I know that I can do everything by myself without asking anybody. If I want something, I love to just afford it and just go and get it for myself. I always wanted to grow up and afford and do things for myself.
“However. All of it has a positive relationship because boxing and life, they always go together, that’s one thing that I’ve learned. It teaches you to focus on working hard to improve your lifestyle, how you live, how you talk to other people, how you carry yourself as a human being.
“So yeah, it started from there and that’s why I’m saying the relationship between the two, the independence and being all alone in the gymnasium, because it’s all up in the mind. It’s all up in the mind and then the body follows because you follow the mind and then the body will do everything that the mind tells the body to do.
“So even the independence, that’s why I was like, okay, even in life, even in the sport, they have a positive impact altogether. And I believed that at some point I had to follow my gut and to take decisions because there was a point where I felt like think I’ve reached a ceiling.
“I wanted to move, I wanted to leave. I want to expose myself to new challenges in order for me to grow. Because it’s not bad to outgrow an environment and go somewhere else and start a new life and keep on going.”
3 September 2022 is a date that’ll forever be etched into the history of Nontshinga and South Africa. Under the heat of the Mexican sunshine, the home favourite Hector Flores Calixto walked out in front of a raucous crowd in an attempt to claim the vacant IBF light-flyweight world title.
Nontshinga recalled the night: “It takes someone special to have such courage. I didn’t care that much about the environment and everything else. One thing that was on my mind was that I had to do this for myself, but I had to do it for my country. We didn’t have any credible world champions in South Africa. So now I had to sit by myself and go deep into my thoughts and think this is no longer about me anymore.
“It’s no longer about my family anymore. It’s no longer about my friends. It’s no longer about people that I know, but the whole continent. So he may have fans, he may have the home crowd advantage, but inside the square it’s only me and him. So I’ll do everything that I’ve learned, everything that I’ve planned, nothing less, everything that I know, also nothing less, nothing more.
“But if you want to be the best, you must go there into deep waters and prove yourself. That’s the only thing that I use every day, every morning when I wake up. It’s good to just manifest. It’s good to be a visionary to just dream. And I believe the highest human act is to inspire people with positive energy all the time. Eventually, they always come together.”
Nontshinga reached the pinnacle of his career, becoming world champion after a 17-month wait between his final eliminator and his vacant title bouts. The 108lbs king recalled: “I was like, I did it. Dreams got delayed, not denied. Now, my life will change forever. I became the youngest world champion in our country and I believe in our continent. So a lot of things changed. My family’s lives changed, my brothers, everybody who supported me, my team. So yeah, one thing about me, it’s all about just changing lives with positive vibes and just keeping on going and never looking back. I believe if you get on top of the mountain, you have to find a bigger one to climb. And once you made it to the top, you never stop dreaming. You want to achieve more and more and more and more.”
However, in boxing, the highest heights are often accompanied by the lowest of lows. After a single title defence in front of his home crowd in East London, it was defeat in Monte Carlo to Adrian Curiel.
“I was so down. I was shocked. Now I have to go back and start from the beginning again. When I lost the title, I cried so much. I couldn’t believe it. If anything happens to me, I’ll never blame anybody. I love to take full accountability of everything that is happening in my life for me.
“I think the last time I lost it was when I was still in the amateurs. So that was the only thing that was playing on my mind. Yes, I was getting too used to getting victories, forgetting that you have to fall down and get back up. Oh, falling down is part of life, but getting back up is living. I couldn’t change anything that was happening in that time, but I knew once I get the opportunity again, I’ll grab it both of my hands because now I know better and I know what I want because I had to go back to where I come from, where I was born and have some great time with my grandma, my cousins and reflect, just reflect.
“Sometimes it helps a lot where you come from seeing the nature and everything back there. So yeah, to me it was a refreshing moment because the pressure I was starting to get on my head because I’m young. Being the only credible world champion, at the age of 24, can bring you a lot of negative thoughts because the pressure is there, obviously.”
Just three months later, Sivenathi was back in Mexico, where he had won the title 17 months prior.
“When I won it back, I felt better because it was like I found myself. I found what I’ve been looking for. I’ve managed to grab the title back in his backyard. I say twice upon a time in Mexico.
“So yeah, I went there [Monaco] and I lost it and then I went there [Mexico] and got it back again and yeah, that’s why I’m saying I’ll forever be grateful with such opportunities that Matchroom always provide me, believing in my capabilities because there are not many of us here around South Africa. So achievements like these, they make you become more humble.”
February 16, 2024; Oaxaca, Mexico; Adrian Curiel and Sivenathi Nontshinga during their IBF World Light Flyweight Title fight at the Guelaguetza Auditorium in Oaxaca, Mexico. Mandatory Credit: Melina Pizano/Matchroom.
Next stop Japan. A hotbed of talent and champions in the lower weight classes puts the South African in hot water.
“I love challenges because I believe challenges will always make us great. If you have to go through trials and tribulations, when you get to the top, you know how to keep your medal or your achievement or a strap or whatever that you are contesting for. Once you get to the top, you know better. You know how to keep it. You know how to motivate yourself, you know how to talk to yourself, you know how to work hard. Once you get there, you just know that you’ve got everything covered now.
“By then, it’s just me versus me. It is not a challenge anymore and I would love to just conquer the world and become a Hall of Famer and pave away for all for the boxers, for young kids here at home because there’s a lot of talent here, but unfortunately scarce of resources.
“So I think that’s the only thing that makes us not have many credible world champions because most of the time you get a credible world champion after a decade or two. So it’s like that. Nonetheless, I feel so comfortable going to the opponent’s backyard and get the victory.”
Masamichi Yabuki is the latest challenger aiming to become Japan’s newest world champion. Yabuki boasts what could be seen as an underwhelming record of 16-4, but with 15 stoppage victories, including a third-round knockout of Kenshiro Teraji, he’s certainly one not to be underestimated.
Nontshinga explained: “I grew up watching him. I wasn’t even a professional boxer back then. I knew that someday I would face those guys, the likes of Kenshiro. I knew that. Yeah, I knew it. I remember telling my younger brother that I used to watch with and tell him that one day I’ll fight these guys. He’s a good boxer. He’s got experience. Remember he’s the only boxer that defeated The Amazing Boy, so let’s give him credit. We can’t take it away from him.
“He’s a good boxer, he’s got good skills, good capabilities, but it’s my time. I haven’t even reached my prime. Nobody will stop my shine. I’m telling you, I respect him, just like everybody, but I’ve been working so hard in the camp so I’m prepared physically, mentally, and spiritually. So yeah, I can’t wait for the big day.”