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Top Western Cape boxing personalities Zola Koti and Chris Mugisho have learnt the hard way that trust and mutual understanding do not always work when dealing with some boxers.
The pair has been in the corner of hard-hitting Marios Matamba over the past three years, taking him from being an unknown fighter to a most wanted commodity.
Together they guided the unbeaten Matamba to World Boxing Organisation (WBO) Africa Junior Welterweight title glory.
Now the talented fighter from the Republic of Congo has dumped them like hot potatoes, signing a two-year contract with Golden Gloves earlier this year. He has moved from Cape Town to join Smith’s Boxing Gym in Fourways.
According to the two trainers the fighter did not even have the decency to tell them about his move.
Said Koti: “We are very disappointed with what he has done after everything we did for him. We invested time, resources and money in his talent. The boy has been under our wing from his days as an amateur. He graduated to professional level and won a WBO Africa title. I feel sorry for Chris because he is the one who accommodated him.
“After all our efforts to push his boxing career he never bothered telling us about his plans to move to Gauteng. We were blinded by his talent and pushed him as quickly as possible, building his record to get him a title fight.
“The mistake on our side was to not sign a contract to bind him. We have learnt the hard way. The trust and understanding between the two of us led to this,” explained Koti.
An equally disappointed Mugisho, who hails from the Democratic Republic of Congo and is based in Cape Town, said his former protégé had told him “a long time ago” about a desire to move to Gauteng.
“I’m definitely not happy with the way he left,” he said. “He could have sat me down and I wouldn’t have stopped his plans. He once told me about his wish to move to Gauteng, but I thought he was over that. I understand he is preparing for a fight so I don’t want to disturb him. I will have a chat with him after the fight because I have a contract with him,” said Mugisho.
However, the 24-year-old Matamba said he did not have a contract with Mugisho.
“He is more like a big brother to me, so we never had a contract. It is done between me and Mugisho, so that is why I have moved to Gauteng to take my career to another level,” said Matamba.
He will cross swords with Clement Kamanga for the vacant International Boxing Federation Africa Junior Welterweight title on February 24 at Emperor’s Palace.
