VUYO’s restaurant along world-renowned tourist strip Vilakazi Street in Orlando West, Soweto, was the venue – on Tuesday of November 11 – of the momentous announcement of the innovative ‘Boxing Meets Fashion’ tournament scheduled for the Eyethu Multifunctional Hall in Mofolo on the evening of December 5.
Touted under the catchy phrase, ‘Bringing Sexy Back’ – the sporting extravaganza is described as an event where power will meet with style, in a dynamic showcase blending women’s boxing with high-fashion flair celebrating strength, beauty and unstoppable confidence.
Furthermore, its ‘Boxing Meets Fashion’ theme is intended to attract a new market and give the event a modern, stylish appeal – á la the annual Durban July horse racing meet which is a de facto wine-&-dine-meets-fashion equestrian extravaganza.
The fistiana circle descended on the trendy eatery – which was festooned with accoutrements (which included punching bags from a stakeholder entity which will be providing gloves for the pugilists come fight night – as well as a mannequin dressed up in apparel provided by a fashion designer tasked with dressing up the contestants) – with pizzazz.
In attendance, et al., was the impending event’s promoter, self-proclaimed fashionista and honcho of VIP Promotion Joyleen Mahanetsa, Boxing South Africa’s Rina Jude and BSA’s Gauteng Provincial Manager Lehlohonolo Ramogole (who’ll be the tournament’s match commissioner), Gauteng Department of Sports, Arts, Culture and Recreation’s Marisa Rose, Damascus Sport CEO Sherwin Enoch and veteran trainer, Norman Hlabane.
The restaurant was a hive of activity with a programme which culminated in photo sessions and interviews with the pugilists, promoters, miscellaneous stakeholders and fashion designer, Olé Ledimo.
In response to an enquiry regarding her prediction of the outcome of her future clash, Vaal-based bantamweight Kabisile Tshabalala simply deadpanned: “Must win!”
Ramogole meanwhile, described the upcoming slugfest as an “extension of a national initiative spiced up to look like a good oxtail.”
Mahanetsa – who mentioned she is the first black woman boxing promoter to utilize billboards to market her shows – described the concept as a movement to place women at the centre of the sport’s story. Based upon her apparent savviness, an observe could deduce how a debutante such as Mahanetsa can convince fight fans to fork out upward of R18 000 for VVIP tables to support her spectacle!
Whilst that unfolded, Ledimo, of House of Olé, went about his trade measuring the female warriors to ensure they’d be dressed up in knockout attires – come fight night!
Considering his entity’s synonymity with flamboyance – it suffices that both performers and spectators can expect no less than the bespoke tailoring and art-inspired clothing the Bloemfontein-raised celebrity designer is reputed for.
To be staged inside the shopping centre’s Multifunctional Hall, the six-bout show will be a box-and-dine affair featuring attendees treated to 3-course dining prepared by chef Fikile Zungu and a live performance of musician Kabelo “Bouga Luv” Mabalane – and will be headlined by a 10-round scrap for the Gauteng Super-middleweight diadem betwixt the Eastern Cape’s Kholosa “The Sting” Ndobayini and Gauteng’s Rita Mrwebi.
Supporting bouts will feature South Africa’s Thobela Nyanda and Malawi’s Harriet Mtende in a Junior Featherweight 8-rounder; a lightweight 8-rounder between the Eastern Cape’s Asezakhe Jamani and Gauteng’s Bonita van Jaarsveldt; a bantamweight 6-rounder clash Gauteng’s Kabisile Tshabalala and the Eastern Cape’s Asandiswa Nxokwana; and a double flyweight 4-rounder pitting the North West’s Abigail Gabonewa against Gauteng’s Libra Mtarini and Gauteng’s Keabetswe Mathane against the North West’s Winnie Sithole, respectively.
Part of Boxing South Africa’s All Women Boxing series, Mahanetsa will share the bill’s organizing duties along with fellow promoters, Joyce Kungwane, Terry Lee Ann, Mapule Matlala, Thanyani Marageni, Leandra Beyers, Phumudzo Ramabulana and ex-boxer Melissa Miller – out of a pot of R300 000 received from the government.
The event will also be in honour of the memories of late boxing legends, Dingaan Thobela, Lehlohonolo “Hands of Stone” Ledwaba, Jacob “Baby Jake” Matlala, Arthur “The Fighting Prince” Mayisela, and Enoch “Schoolboy” Nhlapo.
General seating tickets for the tournament sell for R700, whilst tables of 10 sell for R15 000 – rising up to R18 000 for VVIP ones.
The damper at the launch – converse to the “Bringing Sexy Back” hype, and the enticing promotional media releases bandied about by the marketing agency – was that the pugilists present were dressed anyhow except sexy!
Invitees had been given a false impression that they were going to behold either Amazon-esque models or the pugilists themselves, pimped up by the designer, straddling a red carpet – with the requisite cameras clicking away!
But who knows, fight night could yet become a sultry evening out in Soweto!
Image Jacob MAWELA (BSA’s Rina Jude, promoters Joy Mahanetsa and Melissa Miller, Gauteng Sport- Marisa Rose, promoters Leandra Beyers, Thanyani Magarani and Mapula Matlala, at the launch-Vuyo’s restaurant-Soweto).
