Local pugilist Norman "The Rock" Tshisikhawe gave the talented up-and-coming boxing sensation Nyelisani Thagamega a free boxing lesson before knocking him out cold in the fourth round during the No Pain No Gain boxing tournament held at the Thohoyandou Town Hall on Saturday afternoon (10 February).
Tshisikhawe, one of the most experienced professional boxers from Limpopo Province, showed his opponent from the word go that he meant business, landing solid punches in the opening seconds of the first round.
Instead of sneaking in fast punches and moving around the boxing ring to avoid his opponent, the challenger, Thagamega, who is fast but lacked Tshisikhawe's punching power, made the deadly mistake of trying to exchange punches with Tshisikhawe in the centre of the ring. A left hook from Tshisikhawe sent Thagamega to the floor, but he was saved by the bell in the first round.
Moving and walking proudly in the ring like legendary former British boxer Chris Eubank, Tshisikhawe had his opponent in trouble in the third round, but again Thagamega was saved by the bell. Barely a minute into the fourth round, Tshisikhawe went in for the kill, connecting Thagamega with a right uppercut to the chin and felling him onto his back. The referee had no choice but to stop the fight to save Thagamega from further punishment.
Addressing boxing fanatics afterwards, the sponsor of the tournament, Mr Mbavhalelo Takalani, managing director of John and Lydia Liquor Stores, said the main aim of their sponsoring such a tournament was to plough back into the communities that were supporting his businesses. They are planning on hosting a boxing tournament in Thohoyandou in April this year, and another one in the Collins Chabane Municipality in July.
"We are busy talking with businesses in the Eastern Cape to sponsor a big tournament. We are not sure yet if it will be hosted here in the Vhembe District or the Eastern Cape, but if it happens that we have to go there, we will be taking all our fighters," he said.