“They are like horse-racing trainers — handling 30, 40 boxers and spending 30 minutes with any one boxer during a session. When I train boxers I spend the full three hours with them.
“That’s going to be the difference. Sipho is going to school him. Sipho is going to be a superstar one day.”
Khanyisa, unbeaten in two fights, faces Mahlangu, with two wins and a loss, over eight rounds.
Tanzanian fighters have been somewhat underwhelming on the past couple of ESPN shows, but Hadebe believes her opponent, Stumai Muki, will break that trend atop a tournament featuring mostly women in recognition of Women’s Month.
“She’s threatening to knock me out,” said Hadebe, who carries her campaign against child abuse into the ring on her clothing, being a survivor herself. “I’ve seen a couple of her videos, she looks like quite a good fighter. I think she’s better than my last opponent.”
Hadebe lifted the vacant African Boxing Union flyweight strap with a points win over another Tanzanian, Halima Vunjabei, in February.
Hadebe has a record of 11 wins, three losses and two draws, while Muki is 6-1.
The tournament will be broadcast on DStv channel 218 and SABC Sport from 7pm.
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Boxing
Father and son in opposing corners at boxing tournament
Image: Supplied
As Smangele “Smash” Hadebe tops the ESPN Africa bill in Johannesburg on Thursday night, there will be an interesting showdown on the undercard between father and son.
Veteran coach Gert Strydom will be manning Sipho Mahlangu's corner, while his son Shannon will be on the opposite side of the ring assisting Katlego Khanyisa.
Strydom senior has established himself as one of SA’s top boxing brains, playing his part in some famous victories, among them Malcolm Klassen’s knockout stoppage of Cassius Baloyi in 2009.
And he says he has no intention of relinquishing his status as the champion of the homestead any time soon.
“It [facing his son] is nothing to me, it’s more about the two boys fighting,” he said at the weigh-in on Wednesday. “Everything Shannon knows I taught him, anyway.”
His son works alongside accomplished mentor Colin Nathan at the prolific Hot Box gym off Johannesburg's Louis Botha Avenue.
Title contender 'Smash' Hadebe looks to land a blow against child abuse
“They are like horse-racing trainers — handling 30, 40 boxers and spending 30 minutes with any one boxer during a session. When I train boxers I spend the full three hours with them.
“That’s going to be the difference. Sipho is going to school him. Sipho is going to be a superstar one day.”
Khanyisa, unbeaten in two fights, faces Mahlangu, with two wins and a loss, over eight rounds.
Tanzanian fighters have been somewhat underwhelming on the past couple of ESPN shows, but Hadebe believes her opponent, Stumai Muki, will break that trend atop a tournament featuring mostly women in recognition of Women’s Month.
“She’s threatening to knock me out,” said Hadebe, who carries her campaign against child abuse into the ring on her clothing, being a survivor herself. “I’ve seen a couple of her videos, she looks like quite a good fighter. I think she’s better than my last opponent.”
Hadebe lifted the vacant African Boxing Union flyweight strap with a points win over another Tanzanian, Halima Vunjabei, in February.
Hadebe has a record of 11 wins, three losses and two draws, while Muki is 6-1.
The tournament will be broadcast on DStv channel 218 and SABC Sport from 7pm.
Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.
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