Sivenathi Nontshinga looks to hustle harder and smarter in Mexico

Sivenathi Nontshinga has been chilling out ahead of his potentially history-making world title fight in Mexico by listening to audio books.

The 25-year-old bids to reclaim his IBF junior-flyweight title from Adrian Curiel at a 10,000-seater open-air stadium in Oaxaca, about 460km south of Mexico City, on Friday night (early morning SA time).

No deposed South African world champion has reclaimed the belt they’ve lost in an immediate rematch.

Nontshinga did all the hard work back home at the Hot Box gym in Johannesburg, so the past few days have been about handling the wait and keeping the nerves in check until the gong sounds for the start of the fight.

“I’m feeling good, stronger,” the boxer known as the Special One told TimesLIVE in a telephone interview this week. “I’m excited but focused more than anything else.”

One activity that helps take his mind off the fight is listening to audio books, and at the moment he’s plugged into Hustle Harder, Hustle Smarter by Curtis Jackson.

“I’m really enjoying it.”

He’ll need to hustle smartly and vigorously in the ring as well.

Trainer Colin Nathan has devised a new game plan that bears no resemblance to the one that saw his fighter getting felled by a single right hand in the second round of their first encounter last year.

“If something doesn’t work we’ll have to adapt, but the principles of our camp — strategy and be different to first fight,” he said, without giving away specifics.

In sparring during the build-up it was clear that Nontshinga was staying close to his opponent and not giving him the space to land that right hand.

“Those kinds of things are going to be crucial to us winning this fight. We’re ready. I’m pretty confident of my game plan. In fact I think the Mexican’s going to be a little surprised.”

Nathan said everything was on track.

“It’s looking good, his weight’s good ... we’re confident, we’re very confident.

“He went for a 30-minute run the other night just to get loose, just to check his weight, to keep him moving, keep him active, keep him in the zone.

“I have told him that no matter what happens, no matter what his opponent might say or how the crowd might behave, this is business. We are here to do a job.”

To date only two South African ex-world champions have engaged in immediate rematches. One was bantamweight Vic Toweel for the undisputed crown in 1953 and the other Dingaan Thobela for the WBA lightweight belt in 1994. Both lost. 

Welcome Ncita had a couple of fights before failing to reclaim his IBF junior-featherweight strap from Kennedy McKinney in 1994.

But a few South Africans have also done well in world title rematches. Brian Mitchell, after being given a controversial draw against Tony Lopez, won the return in late 1991.

And Takalani Ndlovu finally took the belt in 2011 after twice losing to Canadian Steve Molitor in 2010 and 2007.

The Nontshinga-Curiel bout will be streamed on DAZN, which begins its crossing at 3am on Saturday.