Linda Ximba
Sivenathi Nontshinga scored a split decision victory over Hector Flores on Saturday night to lift the vacant IBF world junior flyweight championship.
The courageous South African showed from the start that he had travelled all the way to Mexico to become a champion; and that’s exactly what he did.
He took the fight to his opponent and unleashed a powerful right hand on the head which dropped the Mexican early in the fight.
Though Flores beat the count to carry on with the fight, the knockdown forced him to change his fight plan.
By that time Nontshinga had gained confidence and mounted extreme pressure in the hope of winning without going to the judges.
However it was not meant to be as the fight went the distance.
Two judges scored it in favour of the South African, who finished strongly over the final three rounds, by margins of 116-111 and 114-113, while the third judge had Flores winning 115-112.
Flores, suffering the first defeat of his professional career, dropped to 20 wins, one loss and four draws.
The 23-year-old Nontshinga, whose unblemished record improves to 11-0 (nine KOs), now holds the South African record for fewest fights to win a mainstream world title, surpassing the previous best of 14 set by Vic Toweel in 1950.
Remarkably and encouragingly it was Nontshinga’s first trip abroad. His rising career is managed by astute tactician Colin Nathan.
Image source: @MatchroomBoxing
