Phila Mpontshane. Remember the name.
He might be the best-kept secret in boxing, according to his manager, Mzi Mnguni.
Trouble is he’s toiled away quietly in the Eastern Cape backwaters and, despite winning the SA junior-lightweight title in his last fight, isn’t known beyond the confines of his back yard.
But that’s about to change. Mnguni has just struck a deal with Rodney Berman to co-promote the youngster, who is 11-1 as a pro.
“There is a dearth of tournaments down there, so Mzi reached out to me,” explained Berman. “We have a long association and I have always highly regarded his eye for talent, which is uncanny. I don’t want him losing fighters, so Mpontshane will become a Golden Gloves boxer.”
Mpontshane, who won the belt by defeating Aphiwe Mboyiya on points six months ago, will now make his first defence at Emperors Palace in August. He is trained by Ncedo Cecane.
While very much the mystery man, his ability won’t be secret for much longer. The spotlight will very much be on him as he seeks to join the long list of Golden Gloves fighters who have made it big.
