Toto Helebe suffered a defeat on his first international championship belt challenge on Sunday night to Thabo Sonjica. In an electrifying Orient theatre crowd, Thabo Sonjica took just 2:36 seconds of the first round to Knock out a highly rated Toto Helebe in a 12 round IBO Super Bantamweight championship match. Toto Helebe was dropped by a heavy body blow that led to Mr Andile Matika not finishing the count due to Helebe signalling that he had had enough. As it was the first round Toto Helebe’s face was bloodied by the right hand jab of the Southpaw and a huge left hook that staggered him before he sent him home with a left uppercut to the body.
There are however a lot of things that one could write about Helebe’s challenge to Thabo Sonjica. Toto Helebe was ranked as a Bantam weight and he did most of his preparations for this fight under a new trainer Manny Fernandes, who was roped in for this big event in Helebe’s career. Well, if the reason why he took the new coach was for getting more sparring partners or may be Fernandes secured the deal one would have loved if he had taken Mr Madubela with.
As someone who has witnessed the rise of Toto Helebe’s career I can point 3 things that remain to be proven on his career. The first one is getting a home-based promoter that can sign a performance agreement in terms of making sure that he fights at least three times in a year. The Second is getting a fitness trainer and a dietician to ensure that his weight is kept on check in-between fights. Thirdly, if he can stick with his traditional coach who knows his weaknesses and strengths and can therefore work with what he has more than trying to reinvent him. Sonjica’s record now improves to 21 fights, 19 Wins, 14 Kos and 2 losses, and he holds a 66.67 % KO rate. On the other hand Toto Helebe’s record drops to 18 fights, 14 Wins, 7 Kos and 4 losses.
On Friday night, Cape Town’s Mzuvukile Magwaca won the Vacant IBO Intercontinental Flyweight title against Michael Enriquez from Phillipines. The fight took place in east London under the supervision of Mr Len Hunt. The fight was stopped in round five as the opponent was getting too much punishment. This is not the first belt for Magwaca as he holds the WBF All Africa light flyweight belt. There is no question as to whether Magwaca is ready for the big boys. It is only a question of who wants to risk their belt against a hard working Magwaca, who holds an unblemished record of 16 fights with no loss and only 2 draws against Makazole Tete and Khanyakude Mukansi.
Other results on the undercard were as follows: Mziwoxolo Ndwayana W KO 2/6 Lwazi Mvane, Bonakele Bikitsha W Pts 6/6 Lucky Kwaza, Bongani Silila W Pts 6/6 Mzwabantu Dabaza, Siyabonga Siyo W TKO 1/6 Akhona Msindeli, Nhlanhla Ngamntwini W Pts 6/6 Sebelomzi Zimela. The fight was promoted by Mzi Mnguni.
