Bagwasi hopes for a rematch

DRAD boxing stable headcoach, Thebe Setlalekgosi says he is proud of his lightweight boxer, Kabelo Bagwasi who lost a 12 round match against Ayanda Nkosi of South Africa in Durban this past weekend.

Bagwasi’s team took a major risk and jumped from six to 12 rounds to challenger Nkosi for his Pan African WBA lightweight title. The fight held at the luxurious Sibaya Casino and Entertainment Kingdom saw Bagwasi going toe to toe with the much taller Nkosi for the first half of the match. It was past the seventh round that Nkosi’s experience, height and superior reach came into play. The jab kept the shorter Bagwasi at bay despite numerous flurries that often caught the defending champion.

By the time the fight reached the championship rounds, Bagwasi began showing signs of fatigue. In an interview this week, Setlalekgosi said they have learnt a lot from their first 12 round title shot. “Bagwasi managed to contain the champion for the first seven rounds. The boxers did not disappoint at all, it was just unfortunate that we lost,” he said.

Setlalekgosi also said the officials at Fox Africa Boxing were highly impressed by the local boxer despite the loss.“There is a possibility of a re-match but it will not be immediate as we need two or three more matches to correct some of our mistakes. We will need to sit down and rethink our options. I think Bagwasi will do much better at lightweight which is a weight down.”

Moreover, Setlalekgosi said he has been getting positive feedback from the local boxing fraternity. “Some of the former professional boxers said they were impressed by the young boxer.” Meanwhile, Setlalekgosi said three other DRAD boxers managed to win their international fights.

The boxers included Kutlwano Ogaketse who beat Paul Mangxilana in a six-round bout and Moabi Ngaka managed to beat Rirothe Randima in a four round featherweight encounter. The other bout saw Kagiso Bagwasi beating Kiabua Mafisi in a welterweight four rounder.