Sivenathi Nontshinga will as soon as once more hit the highway for a title battle.
The Ring’s No. 2-rated junior flyweight dangers his IBF belt versus former WBC titlist Masamichi Yabuki. The scheduled twelve-round bout will headline an Oct. 12 ABEMA-TV stream from Sky Expo in Tokoname, Aichi, Japan.
South Africa’s Nontshinga (13-1, 10 knockouts) will battle outdoors his residence nation—and continent—for the fourth time in 5 ring appearances.
The 25-year-old from Jap Cape twice received the IBF belt on the highway, each events going down in Mexico. He defeated Tijuana’s Hector Flores (20-0-4, 10 KOs on the time) of their Sept. 2022 Battle of the Yr contender in Hermosillo, Mexico. One profitable protection adopted, a factors win over Regie Suganob (13-0 on the time) in S. Africa.
Nontshinga’s reign led to a shocking first-round knockout defeat to Mexico’s drian Curiel (24-6-1, 5 KOs) final Nov. 4 in Monte Carlo. He then traveled to Curiel’s residence nation for his or her Feb. 16 rematch. Nontshinga rallied in a tenth-round knockout to regain his title.
Efforts have been made to unify versus then RING/WBA/WBC champion Kenshiro Teraji (23-1, 14 KOs) and then-WBO titlist Jonathan ‘Bomba’ Gonzalez (28-3-1, 14 KOs). Each avenues have been explored as Nontshinga was ordered to face obligatory challenger Christian Araneta.
These efforts show futile, although oddly all three—Nontshinga, Teraji and Gonzalez–battle on consecutive days in Japan. Teraji faces Nicaragua’s Cristofer Rosales (38-6, 22 KOs) for the vacant WBC flyweight title on Oct. 13 at Ariake Enviornment in Tokyo. One night time later on the similar venue, Gonzalez challenges WBO flyweight titlist Anthony Olascuaga (7-1, 5 KOs).
If nothing else, Nontshinga can journey throughout nation to soak up the motion, assuming he prevails in his title protection.
Yabuki (16-4, 15 KOs), No. 6 at 108, authored one of many largest upsets of 2021 in his lone profession title win.
The hard-hitting junior flyweight from Nagoya, Aichi dethroned Teraji by way of tenth-round stoppage of their Sept. 2021 thriller. His reign was short-lived, as Teraji emphatically avenged the defeat in a March 2022 third-round knockout.
Three wins have adopted for Yabuki, all inside the gap. In his most up-to-date begin, the 32-year-old knockout artist halted Nicargua’s Kevin Vivas (7-3, 2 KOs) within the fourth spherical of their March 16 conflict in Nagoya.
All 4 of Yabuki’s defeats have come versus former, current or future titleholders—Teraji, Daniel Matellon, Seigo Akui and Junto Nakatani.
Jake Donovan is a senior author for The Ring.
