Vusumuzi Dube
World Boxing Council (WBC) silver-title contender, Smangele “Smash” Hadebe, has arrived in Mexico, where she stands to make history if she succeeds in grabbing the belt from reigning title holder Gabriela “La Bonita” Sànchez Saaverda on Saturday morning (3AM).
SA is yet to produce a female champion from the Mexico-based sanctioning boxing body since women’s boxing was permitted here in 2007.
Hadebe, from KwaThema in Springs, Ekurhuleni, is rated No 15, while Saaverda is seven places above her. “Smash” earned recognition from the WBC ratings committee after winning the African Boxing Union (ABU) belt in February 2022, and defending it successfully six months later.
The ABU is affiliated with the WBC.
Hadebe, her trainer Khangelani Jack, and the boxer’s manager, Colleen McAusland, flew to Mexico on Sunday. “Everything is good, there is a gym in the hotel, which I asked for,” said McAusland.
“‘Smash’ had a good five kilometre run with Jack just to get the air in her lungs; she had a solid hour’s training on hand pads and going over the game plan with a bodysuit for weight cuts. She only needs to lose 500g to be within the weight limit of 50.8kg on Thursday, for the weigh-in.”
A former professional boxer from Mdantsane near East London, Jack will be in Hadebe’s corner for the third time. “As a team, we did our best, and we’re ready for anything the champion will bring. At the end of the fight, we will be crowned,” he said.
Hadebe said they have “prepared well; we are positive that the game plan we’ve got is looking good. Not to underestimate our opponent, but we’ve done our work to come back victorious.”
If boxing records are anything to go by, Hadebe, who has stopped five of her 14 opponents within the distance against four losses and two draws, should dethrone the champion.
She last lost a fight in July 2019 in Russia, and has chalked up eight straight wins. Sanchez, 30, has 11 wins, only one by a knockout, against six losses. She has won her last three fights.
Africa and SA in particular, will be able to watch the fight live. Hadebe’s sponsor, Discover Sport, bought the live stream link.
McAusland said: “Her sponsor paid a lot of money for that link. This is huge and it has never happened before, not for female fighters anyway.
“People need to get onto the internet, log onto DiscoverSport.com, touch on live and they will see ‘Smash’s’ poster on the day. That is how easy it will be to watch the pride of Africa.”
Sowetan
Online Reporter