ZAKHELE XABA
U ZIBONA esebheke esicongweni esibhakeleni somhlaba umshayisibhakela waseNingizimu Afrika osejoyine uqweqwe lomqeqeshi, uFreddie Roach, ohlonishwa emhlabeni wonke ngokucija izingqwele.
UChris “The Heat” van Heerden ulaxaze ibhande le-International Boxing Organisation welterweight, walandela iphupho lakhe lokuba ngumpetha womhlaba phesheya kwezilwandle.
Maphakathi nesonto uveze ukuthi usezoqeqeshwa nguRoach ocija uManny Pacquiao wasePhilippines osebe ngumpetha womhlaba ezigabeni eziyisishiyagalombili, noMiguel Cotto, ongumpetha we-WBC middleweight. Abanye aseke wabapheka ngu-Amir “King Khan” Khan wase-United Kingdom, owayengumpetha we-WBA World light welterweight ne-International Boxing Federation (IBF) light weltereight, noJulio Cesar “JC” Chavez waseMexico owayengumpetha we-WBC light welterweight.
UVan Heerden, olaxaze umqeqeshi uManuel Robles waseCalifornia, ubhale enkundleni yezokuxhumana, ufacebook no-twitter ephesheya kwezilwandle ukuthi sekusemthethweni ukuthi useqeqeshwa nguRoach.
“Sengihlangene nomqeqeshi oku-Hall of Fame nohamba phambili emhlabeni uMnuz Freddie Roach. Kuyiphupho lami futhi ngiyakholwa ukuthi uzongenza ngiveze enginakho esibhakeleni,” kusho uVan Heerden.
Ezinyangeni ezedlule kusuke uthuli lwezichwe eNingizimu Afrika ngesikhathi owayengumpetha womhlaba, uBrian Mitchell, ethi uVan Heerden uyele ukuyoba yisaka lokubhulwa ngabanye abafana phesheya kwezilwandle njengoba engazitholi izimpi ayezigijimela khona.
Uthe angajabula ukumbona engena eringini nebhande noma eyolilwela. UMitchel ugcizelele ukuthi lokhu ukusho njengomngani okungenzeka futhi ukuthi umbono wakhe uwusheshisile. Ngaleso sikhathi uVan Heerden ubesiza uCotto noSaul Alvarez belungiselela izimpi zabo ngokubangcwekisa. UCotto unqobe ngamaphuzu kuSergio Martinez.
“Ngesikhathi ngisebenza noCotto ekhempini, uRoach wangibuka wathi ngingaba yinto ekhethekile,” kusho uVan Heerden kuwebsite iBoxingscene.com
Selokhu efikile phesheya kwezilwandle uVan Heerden akakaze ahlulwe. Uzidlele amahlanga kuCosme “Chino” Rivera empini ebiseHollywood ngoFebhuwari. Ugcine ukungena eringini noRay “Sugar Ray” Narh waseGhana empini ayinqobe ngamaphuzu ngo-Ephreli eCalifornia.
n Khonamanjalo, ezimpini zePremier Boxing League (PBL)ngoMgqibelo, ePort Elizabeth, uVusumzi Bokolo uhlule uGrant Fourie kwathi u-Aphiwe Mboyiya wanqoba ku-Oscar Chauke. UThabo Sishwana uhlule uToto Helebe, uMfundo Gwayana wahlula uMzwabantu Dabaza.