Z IMHLOPHE izindlela kumpetha we-SA junior middleweight uNkululeko “Bulldog” Mhlongo osezolwela ibhande le-World Boxing Association (WBA) Pan African no-Anthony Jarman waseNamibia ngenyanga ezayo.
NgoMgqibelo ebusuku, uMhlongo waseShowe, KwaZulu-Natal, uvikele ngempumelo ibhande lakuleli nele-WBF Inter-continental eshayisa okwengane uFrans Ramabodu phambi kwezihlwele zakhe eDr Molemela Complex, eFree State.
UMhlongo ugcine enqobe ngamaphuzu, wonke amajaji impi eyinika yena. Kumangale iningi ngesikhathi uRamabodu ethi ubanjwe inkunzi kwazise ukholwa wukuthi ukwenze konke obekufanele ukwehlula uMhlongo kule mpi ebiyimpinda. Sekunesikhathi uMhlongo ekhala ngokuncishwa amathuba okulwela amabhande ahlonishwayo emhlabeni. Ubegxeka ophromotha ngokungakholelwa kuyena.
Isolezwe lithole ukuthi uMhlongo uhlelelwa impi noJarman ngenyanga ezayo nezolandelwa ngeyebhande le-World Boxing Federation (WBF) ezoba ngasekuqaleni konyaka ozayo. UJarman uwine ibhande le-WBA Pan African lingaphethwe muntu ehlula uChristiano Dombassy. Leli bhande liphucwe uRamabodu ngasekuqaleni konyaka.
“Ngiyajabula ukuthi izinto zami seziqala ukuvuleka. Kade ngangifisa ukuthola ithuba lokulwela amabhande omhlaba. Ngisho abalandeli namajaji kade sebesho ukuthi ngifanele ukulwela izicoco zomhlaba,” kusho uMhlongo.
“ENingizimu Afrika akusekho engikufundayo emabhokiseni akhona, kunalokho yiwona afunda kimina. Ukuphumela ngaphandle kuzonginika amava engiwadingayo ngiphinde ngifunde.”
Nyakenye uMhlongo, eqala ukuyolwa ngaphandle, ubuye ekhala ngokwenzelela kwamajaji ekade ebhekene no-Isaac Rodrigues waseBrazil empini yebhande le-WBF. Nokho ngempelasonto ushiye abalandeli bakhe bengawuvali umlomo ngendlela alwe ngayo. UMhlongo akakwenzanga aziwa ngakho kokubeletha isibhakela, ashaye imbangi ngesisodwa.
“Kade ngisaba ukuthi amajaji azongijezisa, ikakhulukazi ngoba kade engakubo. Ngizamile ngomzuliswano wesishiyagalombili kodwa umqeqeshi uSechaba (Mabuya) wangithethisa,” kusho uMhlongo.
“URamabodu ujwayele ukuwina uma engakubo ngakho besingafuni kwenzeke iphutha. Ubekezele yena ngoba ugcine eyiqede yonke imizuliswano. Bengifuna ukusheshe ngiqede ngaye kodwa ukwazile ukumelana nazo zonke izibhakela ebengizithumela kuyena. Kumanje izandla zami zivuvukele ngenxa yokushaya ikhanda.”