The date was August 23 2014 and former South African two-division boxing champion Sikhulule Sidzumo was taking a beating from Nkululeko Mhlongo during a tournament at the Bhisho Stadium near Qonce.
As calls grew louder for the fight to be stopped, attention shifted to a pregnant woman crying uncontrollably at ringside before ring official Siya “Vabaza” Booi stepped in to console her.
That night marked the end of Sidzumo’s boxing career.
But it also marked the beginning of something else.
The pregnant woman was Fezeka Mnyamana, who would later become Sidzumo’s wife and partner in building one of Mdantsane’s rising boxing clubs — Young Assassins.
Today the couple have been nominated for this year’s Daily Dispatch Local Heroes Awards for their work in mentoring and developing young boxers in the NU5 area of Mdantsane.
Rather than walking away from boxing after his defeat, Sidzumo chose to pass on his knowledge to children in the township.
Mnyamana, meanwhile, had already developed a passion for the sport while working for a company that sponsored amateur boxing tournaments in Mdantsane.
“As someone with a first aid qualification, I used to be heavily involved in those tournaments,” she said.
“My interest developed further during Mzolisi Yoyo’s SA title reign, so I used to go to his fights to cheer for him.”
Ironically, it was Yoyo’s rivalry with Sidzumo that eventually brought the couple together.
When Yoyo split two fights against Sidzumo, Mnyamana found herself drawn to the boxer she had initially not supported.
“I would not say I fell in love with him because he beat Yoyo, but things started there,” she said.
As more children from the area approached Sidzumo asking to be trained, the couple eventually opened the Young Assassins Boxing Club.
The club initially focused on amateur tournaments and quickly built a strong reputation at grassroots level, particularly in Knuckle tournaments featuring young boxers.
Many of those children have since progressed through the amateur ranks and are now beginning to make their mark professionally.
Last weekend, two of the club’s prospects — Luthando Ntsangani and Siphiwe Base — made successful professional debuts during Busi J Promotions’ inaugural tournament in NU7 Mdantsane.
Base displayed composure and ring intelligence before stopping Likho Mshweshwe in the second round of their flyweight contest.
Ntsangani, a southpaw, stopped Khanya Sgentseni in the opening round of their mini-flyweight bout.
The pair increased the number of professional fighters produced by the gym to four, following in the footsteps of Siyamthanda Mbali, who recently upset previously unbeaten former amateur standout Sinovuyo “Pink One” Mthintelwa to claim the provincial flyweight title.
All the fighters carry the “Assassin” nickname in honour of the club.
Base is known as the “Silent Assassin” because of his calculated style, Mbali is the “Aggressive Assassin”, while Ntsangani fights under the name “Vicious Assassin”.
Sidzumo believes more talent is still to emerge from the gym.
“People have not seen anything yet,” he said.
Through a partnership with Ground Up Sports Promotion, the club hopes to keep its young fighters active and focused, reducing the risk of them drifting towards crime, substance abuse or other destructive influences.
But despite the success, the couple say the financial strain remains significant.
“We fund them out of our own pockets for transport and other necessities,” said Mnyamana, who handles the administrative side of the gym.
The couple say proper nutrition, transport and training equipment remain some of their biggest challenges.
For Mnyamana, the club’s success represents a remarkable turnaround from the heartbreak she experienced watching Sidzumo’s career-ending defeat while pregnant with their daughter, Nalubabalo.
Now a constant presence around the gym, Nalubabalo, whose name means “here is the glory”, has become a reminder of how far the family has come.
“Our daughter is testimony to our boxing journey up to this stage,” Mnyamana said.
Daily Dispatch