Springs boxing tournament packs a punch against GBV
Twenty-seven bouts kept spectators entertained as boxers from across the country stepped into the ring to support a tournament raising awareness about gender-based violence.
Bert Collins Boxing Club hosted a gender-based violence (GBV) awareness tournament at Springs Mall on August 1 featuring 27 bouts.
Keagan Smith (19) from the Smithy’s Boxing Club in the Free State lost his bout against Phillip Mupfeka (24) from Real Boxers in Boksburg in the second round.
Smith reflected on his performance, saying he is glad he went up against Mupfeka.
“About a year ago, we fought, and in my head I was thinking ‘he knows how to fight and he has more experience’.
When I saw him at the nationals about three weeks ago, I thought I actually stand a chance against him now.
“Today was my last amateur fight, and I’m glad it was against him,” Smith said.
He added that, going forward, he looks to work on his follow-ups in the ring. Fresh off the SA champs, Mupfeka says he is happy to use the experience he gained.
“That’s what I love about the amateur fights – you get to use different fighting styles, and in the process you’re gaining great experience,” he said.
He says he hopes to go pro next year.
“I believe that hard work beats talent. I’ve always considered myself a natural, but I constantly put in the work,” Mupfeka said.
Another exciting bout was Junior Nseka Bodja vs Darius Chapman. Nseka Bodja finished the fight with a KO victory.
Chapman reflected on the reasons behind his defeat.
“My distance management wasn’t good enough, and my opponent caught me with a clean cross that resulted in a knockdown. I need to read my opponents better in future fights,” he said.
For Nseka Bodja, the victory was a redemption as he had lost his last fight in March at the Bert Collins Boxing Club.
“It felt good; there was a lot of pressure going into this, but I had some time to reset mentally, physically and spiritually,” he said.
He said he looks forward to becoming an SA champion.
The hosting club’s head coach, Jeanette Dyzel, said it was important for them to host a GBV awareness tourney as people often associate boxing with violence.
“Some people think boxing teaches people to be violent, but that’s not true.
“Boxing promotes self-discipline, respect and anger management. It was important for us as a club to take a stand against GBV,” Dyzel said.
She commended all the boxers for displaying excellent skill, discipline and determination throughout the tournament.
