Mtolo confident Sibanda will knock out veteran Baleni
Challenging hardened journeyman could backfire for Zimbabwean upstart
Image: RANDELL RUSKRUGE
If boxing prospect Beavan Sibanda loses to the supposedly washed-up Siphamandla Baleni in Golden Gloves “No Mercy” tournament at Emperors Palace on June 15, then promoter Rodney Berman has no investment in the Zimbabwean.
Sibanda, 22, is undefeated after six fights. The young man, who is a good counter-puncher with solid technique, has caught the attention of Berman, the CEO of Golden Gloves who speaks highly of the youngster.
Sibanda is trained by Vusi Mtolo at Brian Mitchell Boxing Academy in Edenvale. The youngster has been a professional boxer since 2022.
Two of his victims did not hear the bell going for the last round after stopping them within scheduled distances.
All six of them were newcomers which is an appropriate procedure to groom a fighter. But taking a journeyman like Baleni in a career-advancing bout could backfire.
Baleni, who is also known as “Toyo Toyi,” is a ring veteran of 29 fights. The fighter from Mthatha is the former Eastern Cape, SA, IBO Continental, WBO Africa mini-flyweight champ and WBO Global and SA junior-flyweight titlist.
Baleni has lost twice to three locals – Siyabonga Siyo, Xolisa Magusha and Ayanda Ndulani. His defeat outside SA was to five-fight novice Hasanboy Dusmatov of Uzbekistan on November 6.
Baleni has not lost a fight by a stoppage and that talks to durability. The general feeling down in East London is that he has seen better days but losing to Sibanda cannot be declared a done deal.
“I can tell you in confidence that there is nothing left in Baleni in terms of springing a surprise by winning a major belt but I doubt that he is at a point of being beaten by an upstart like Sibanda,” said an East London-based senior boxing person who asked to remain anonymous.
“I have not seen Sibanda in action; I just heard that he is a promising young boxer. My take is, if Sibanda who they rave so much about loses to Baleni, the promoter Rodney Berman has no investment in him.”
Sibanda's trainer Vusi Mtolo told Golden Gloves tournament coordinator Jeff Ellis that his charge will be packing dynamites in his gloves.
“He’ll be teaching the big boys boxing,” warned Mtolo during their interview.
“We aren’t scared of any guy,” Mtolo said.
The non-title fight will form part of Golden Gloves international tournament that will be headlined by a 12-round battle for the vacant IBO junior middleweight belt between Mtolo's other charge Roarke “Razor” Knapp and Jorge Garcia Perez of Mexico.