Sivenathi Nontshinga loses IBF junior-flyweight fight in Japan

Sivenathi Nontshinga lost his IBF junior-flyweight via a ninth-round stoppage in Japan on Saturday, surrendering in a fight where he never looked in control.

The South African went down late in round eight after getting tagged with a right hand by Masamichi Yabuki, and though he tried to fight his way back in the next round, he went down twice more.

Referee Mark Calo-oy waved it over without counting on his third trip to the canvas. One of the ringside judges was former South African IBF lightweight champion Phillip Holiday, who now lives in Australia.

As a world title-holder Holiday made six successful defences, including a convincing decision over Ivan Robinson, before losing his belt on points to future superstar Shane Mosley.

Holiday knew how to reign, a lesson Nontshinga is failing to learn.

The kid who won the IBF junior-flyweight crown in his 11th professional bout — the quickest ever by a South African — lost it in his second defence to unheralded Mexican Adrian Curiel on a second-round knockout last year.

Nontshinga regained it in glorious fashion, beating Curiel on a 10th-round stoppage in Mexico in February, but he looked a shadow of that fighter in Tokoname last night.

Yabuki, a 32-year-old who had won the WBC title in a major upset over countryman Kenshiro Teraji before getting KO’ed in the third round of their rematch in 2022, was not supposed to give the South African problems.

But he quickly found the range with his jab and Nontshinga never really got into the fight. He landed single blows and showed some slick skills on defence, but it meant little when he needed to be scoring with combinations.

Perhaps 25-year-old Nontshinga tasted Yabuki’s power early on — he got clipped by a right in the second round — but he seemed to be reluctant to try press the action.

This was a fistic chess match with both fighters relying more on brain than brawn, but even here Nontshinga remained too cerebral for too long.

On the occasions that he did push forward, he still didn’t land enough shots. Boxing is about delivering scoring blows, not only avoiding them.

Yabuki dictated the pace of this bout.

When the challenger nailed Nontshinga late in the eighth round, the South African reacted late to the punch, turning his back on his opponent, stepping out of range and then going down on his knees.

Some referees might have ended it right then — turning one’s back is seen as quitting — but Calo-oy gave him a chance.

Under pressure and clearly behind on the scorecards Nontshinga tried to take control, but a left hook took his legs away for his second visit.

Nontshinga appeared more overwhelmed than hurt when he went down for the third and final time, his record dropping to 13-2.

When Nontshinga’s team analyses this fight, they should also consider his relaxed approach walking to the ring. He smiled as if he were attending a celebrity event, and maybe his mind wasn’t where it should have been.

Perhaps they thought this was going to be an easy assignment. Whatever it was, his return to the ring will have to be carefully managed, ensuring he gets the type of experience he seemed to be lacking on Saturday.

Trainer and manager Colin Nathan will have to regroup quickly on Sunday as he hurtles to Tokyo on the bullet train for Phumelela Cafu’s challenge for the WBO junior-bantamweight crown on Monday.

Cafu, unbeaten with 10 wins and three draws, takes on Kosei Tanaka (20-1).

Nathan’s overall record in Japan now sits at four wins and three losses.