Maphupha knocks out Mhlungu in 56 seconds

The Limpopo provincial flyweight boxing champion, Rofhiwa “Topis Dangerous” Maphupha, shocked the South African boxing fraternity by knocking out Fanele Mhlungu in just 56 seconds in the first round of an interprovincial championship fight at the Escort Hall in KwaZulu-Natal on Saturday (30^th).

Speaking upon his return from KwaZulu/Natal on Monday morning, his trainer, Mr Paul “Cruel Vulture” Masindi, said that the Nzhelele-based boxer had caught his opponent with a powerful right hook to the left shoulder within the first few seconds of the fight, followed by a left-right combination. “The hook was so forceful that Mhlungu dislocated his right shoulder and dropped to his knees in agony, signalling the end of the fight. I entered the ring to find Maphupha also in tears, but tears of joy,” he said.

Masindi said that prior to the fight, he had instructed Maphupha to aim for a knockout victory in the first round. “I feared the risk of a hometown decision if the fight went the distance. Referees often favour the hometown boxer in such situations,” he explained.

Maphupha revealed that his primary goal was to capture the national championship belt before the end of the year and then set his sights on a world title. “I know what I want in my life. I am working hard to become a world champion one day,” he said.

Trainer Paul Masindi highlighted that before the fight, Maphupha was not ranked in the top 10 by Boxing South Africa (BSA), while Fanele Mhlungu held the third position. Following Saturday’s remarkable performance, Masindi said that they had now risen to third place in the rankings. Additionally, they have been granted an opportunity to face Mfanavule Ntuli on 25 May at the same Escort Hall venue in Durban in an elimination bout. “The victor of that bout will vie for the national championship belt, and mark my words, we will grab the national championship this year,” he declared confidently.

Date:05 April 2024

By: Victor Mukwevho

Victor Mukwevho Ne-vumbani joined the Mirror during it's inception in 1990. He joined the SABC newsroom in 1995, and was known by  listeners as "A u fhedzisela ari". He was a news editor for The Tembisan Newspaper from 2007 to 2015. He rejoined the Limpopo Mirror newspaper in June 2022 as a freelance journalist.

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