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Pupil teaches champ a lesson

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major upset Azinga Fuzile (right) squares off against Macbute Sinyabi at the Orient Theatre on Friday evening. Fuzile, who is just 19, won the bout  PHOTO: MARK ANDREWS
major upset Azinga Fuzile (right) squares off against Macbute Sinyabi at the Orient Theatre on Friday evening. Fuzile, who is just 19, won the bout PHOTO: MARK ANDREWS

Plans are in the pipeline for Azinga ‘Golden Boy’ Fuzile to challenge for the International Boxing Federation (IBF) youth featherweight title in December.

This comes in the wake of the 19-year-old Duncan Village boxer’s breathtaking showing in which he caused a major upset by dethroning Mdantsane-based Macbute “Macman” Sinyabi by an unanimous points decision in their South African featherweight title bout at Orient Theatre, East London, on Friday night.

Fuzile’s win makes him arguably the country’s first pugilist to win a championship belt with only five fights to his name. What is even more interesting is that he is still at high school in Duncan Village, where he is completing Grade 11. Sinyabi came into the bout boasting 33 fights (29 wins and four losses).

In only his fifth bout in the professional ranks, Fuzile brought the house down when he out-thought and out-gunned the rather tame Sinyabi to win the crown.

Judge Simphiwe Mbini scored it 117-110 and judges Andile Matika and Lulama Mtya put it 118-109 and 117-109.

After a slow start with both sluggers doing very little in the opening stanza, the bout gained momentum as they threw crunching body shots, with Fuzile putting his more experienced foe in trouble.

So determined was Fuzile to inflict punishment that he knocked Sinyabi down twice in the 12th round and Sinyabi was rescued by the bell.

Sinyabi tried to get his punches together, but he was mesmerised by the more determined Fuzile, whose southpaw stance worked well for him to unsettle the more experienced Sinyabi.

“We would like to see Fuzile fighting for the IBF youth title as early as December. He has proven his mettle by winning the national crown at such an early stage. I’m positive that the IBF will consider him for the youth title,” said promoter Terry Norris.

Fuzile’s trainer, Chief Njekani, said his charge won the title because he followed the fight plan, which was to unsettle Sinyabi with left hooks.

“We followed Sinyabi’s previous fights and told ourselves that we would work on his mistakes.

“The strategy paid off because Fuzile did not give him any room,” Njekani said.

Sinyabi, who also holds the International Boxing Organisation's intercontinental featherweight diadem, said he lost to a more polished foe.

Sinyabi had been hailed as one of the classiest fighters in the division. But he had his limitations badly exposed this time round.

“Fuzile was great on the night because he exposed me big time. I must admit, I took him lightly, but he proved me wrong.

“For now, I just want to concentrate on my intercontinental championship,” said a disappointed Sinyabi.

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