Azinga Fuzile still yearns for a world title, but he knows full well that anything but a win in his next fight will derail those ambitions.
Now based in Johannesburg where he trains in the city centre with former world champion Zolani Tete, the exciting southpaw leaves for Kazakhstan at month end for an April 5 showdown against Sultan Zaurbek for the WBA Continental belt. Their scheduled 10-round bout will serve as the co-feature to the Janibek Alimkhanuly-Anauel Ngamissengue IBF/WBO middleweight title fight.
“Everything is going well, my training has been good,” said “Golden Boy” on Wednesday, explaining that the move up country was primarily for the benefit of training at high altitude.
“I’m taking this very seriously.”
Zaurbek (19-0) has not fought at home since late 2021, his last seven bouts having taken place in England and Ireland, the most recent of which was a ten-round decision win.
Fuzile, who fell short in an IBF super featherweight title bout against Kenichi Ogawa in 2021, rebounded in fine style with three successive stoppage wins, the most recent of which was a knockout of Namibia’s Sebastianus Natanael.
The popular South African believes he is a far better boxer than he was five years ago.
“I’ve learned a lot since my last loss,” he says, pointing to errors of defence and movement, which he believes he has remedied under Tete. “I’m constantly learning new techniques.”
Fuzile says he has watched tapes of the Kazakh, but knows little more than what he’s seen.
Early intel points to a long amateur record, like almost all East European fighters, and Zaurbek has also recently spent time in America under new trainer Manny Robles. With Zaurbek rated third by the WBA, they, too, are planning to chase the famous belt.
“We’re the same age (28), both southpaws, both pushing hard,” said Fuzile. “He’s a good boxer, but I believe I’m better.”
