From prison and the 28s to fighting for freedom in the ring: A boxing story of hope

It may be one of the toughest, brutal sporting codes, but having honed his skills in prison, boxing has been the route to freedom for hot featherweight prospect Abdul-Aziz Kunert.

The unbeaten 26-year-old Cape Town-born fighter (10-0-2 knockouts) has travelled a longer journey than most his age, including spending five years behind bars, and the latest stopover in his life finds him in Johannesburg, where he has been taken under the wing of reputable trainer Colin Nathan at the Hotbox-MTK Africa gym in the suburb of Savoy.

Soft-spoken and courteous, the boxer nicknamed “Dula”, admitted “Cape Town will never leave me”, but felt he desperately needed a different environment where he could gain more experience as a fighter and be exposed to champions and world-title contenders, of which there is no shortage at Hotbox.

But more importantly, it was about fight opportunities for the country’s No 2 contender and his stalled challenge for the vacant national featherweight title against unbeaten Thembani Mbangatha is already in the works.

With Covid-19 restrictions, Kunert has, like many of his fellow boxers, been inactive since December 2019, when he caused an upset by dispatching former WBF Intercontinental and IBO International bantamweight champion Mfusi Maxhayi in two rounds.

Tough upbringing

Kunert was born in 1994, when South Africa was taking its first baby steps as a democratic nation, but a difficult upbringing in Brooklyn in the Cape Flats got him ensnared in the savage gang culture at a young age, joining the feared 28s gang after leaving school at age 16.

While incarcerated – he received a 12-year sentence for murder – he was introduced to boxing by another former professional Sandile Hoho, in what he calls a “life transforming experience”.

“I came from a dark place, but I’m actually grateful where I came from. If there were certain things I could change, I would, but I believe in destiny and this is how my life was set out to be.

“My faith in God kept me going and played a major role in who I am today and He led me to boxing,” said Kunert, a devout Muslim.

New hope

Released on parole in 2017 for good behaviour, Kunert, who lists the legendary Sugar-Ray Leonard as his boxing idol, continued building an impressive professional record in the Western Cape.

He makes a point of refuting the suggestion by his previous handlers recently that he had been “poached” by Nathan.

Although he was reluctant to elaborate, it appears as if certain financial and contract-related issues with his previous handlers, as well as the ongoing frustration of inactivity, had hastened his decision to leave his wife and young son behind in Cape Town, and move to Gauteng.

“I really believe Colin is the right person for me to realise the dreams I had when I was in jail, of becoming a professional boxer. Things happen for a reason and I reached out to him to advise me about certain things. His track record speaks for itself,” he explained.

“I hope I can become an inspiration to people who are struggling and come from poor backgrounds. It never comes easy, but they should never give up. Keep believing, fight the good fight and don’t allow yourself to fall into a hole,” he added.

Professional boxing has a short lifespan but this story is bound to have a happy ending.