“The only thing I wanted was to win the title, which could help me change my life and that of my family.. I am the only one who works in the house, where I live with my younger brother, my aunt and their children, “said the boxer with despair and a little guilt. Siphesihle Mntungwa.
So, with that dream, the 27-year-old South African faced the fight for the African lightweight title of the World Boxing Association (WBA. His rival was his compatriot. Simiso Buthelezi (24). Mntungwa achieved his goal of keeping the championship belt, but the story didn’t end well.
It is that the winner was in the eye of the storm after the death of his rival, who went viral for throwing shots in the air after being stunned. The serious injuries sustained during the fight were fatal for Buthelezi.
Referee Elroy Marshall stops the fight between Mntungwa and Buthelezi, who died two days later.
“I received strong criticism and insults on social media when Simiso was hospitalized, but those threats moved to another level after his death. My neighbors also posted very bad messages about me. All I wanted was to win that title because it would help me financially, but people called me a killer“, he began by describing Mntungwa on Sowetan LIVE.
“I didn’t kill Simiso Buthelezi. We just fought in a boxing match, but it was neither life nor death, “he tried to explain the boxer and thus defend himself from his harassers. And he added: “I can’t stand it. I only have one thing left, I’ll kill myself.”. Chilling.
Mmeli Mkhizehis coach, said that the pressures that fell on his pupil were so great that he was unable to attend the funeral or accompany Buthelezi relatives during that difficult time, which he would have liked, and explained that he is seeking professional assistance. to help overcome the emotional crisis in which he is immersed.
The chronology of a tragic outcome
The fight for the vacant African WBA lightweight title took place in Durban, South Africa. Buthelezi’s dominance was such that he left his rival on the verge of knockout in the tenth round and prevailed over the scorecards, but, unusually, when his opponent stood up, he began throwing punches in the air, away from Mntungwa’s position. There the referee stopped the fight.
He was immediately taken to a nearby hospital. The doctors managed to stabilize him and thought he was out of danger, but then They found that he had severe brain damage and fell into a coma.
Dr Buyi Mabaso-Dlamini, of King Edward VIII Hospital, gave more details and described it suffered internal bleedingwhich two days later caused his death.
The news was confirmed by the South African Professional Boxing Commission. “It is with great sadness for South African Boxing and the Buthelezi family that we report the death of Simiso Buthelezi on the night of June 7 in hospital,” reads an official statement.
Source: Clarin
