SIMPIWE Vetyeka says he will defeat Nonito Donaire in the Cotai Arena at the Venetian Macao, China, on Saturday afternoon and prove he is the special one.
Vetyeka ? a multidimensional boxer from Mdantsane near East London ? is the first “Super” champion from Africa.
Popularly known as “V12” ? meaning “big engine” in township parlance ? Vetyeka will make the first defence of his World Boxing Association (WBA) super featherweight belt against the US-based Filipino, a highly rated four-division former world champion.
“Remember that I initiated this fight,” Vetyeka said on Thursday.
“I was supposed to defend against Nicholas Walters, who is the regular WBA champion, but I told my management team that I need to fight Donaire. The fight is here now, and it is all up to me to win it for my country and the African continent. I will win it to prove that I am the best in the world. I have always said that I am the chosen one.”
Vetyeka is a boxer-counter puncher; lanky and rangy, he prefers to bide his time and wait for openings. Donaire is a switch-hitter, able to fight southpaw or orthodox.
Vetyeka is a 12-year professional, and four of his five last wins have been by knockout. He scored an upset in December to win the Super title after stopping the undefeated Chris John from Indonesia in the sixth round. John had held the title for 10 years and defended it 18 times. He retired after his first defeat against 49 wins in 51 fights.
“This fight is my continuation of a streak of so-called upsets. I go to opponents? back yards and not only beat them, but stop them,” said Vetyeka. He stopped Indonesian Cino Daud Yordan in the 12th round for the International Boxing Organisation belt last April.
“This fight against Nonito is not going to be any different, but people back home should not make a mistake of thinking Donaire is a weak opponent. He is as strong as they come, a four-time world champion who at one point was top-rated in the pound-for-pound ratings. But I am Vetyeka, also a former three-times champion. We are on the same level. The only difference is that the South African boxing scene does not get the same exposure as in America.” Vetyeka said he had held motivational talks with trainer Vuyani Bungu, a former undefeated International Boxing Federation junior featherweight champion. Bungu is South Africa?s only world champion to register 13 defences. “Vuyani has been there and he knows the stage I am in”.
