Battle in the Plains aims to bring back boxing’s glory days

In what can be described as a bit of history in the making, big-time boxing is set to return to Mitchell’s Plain on Saturday, December 13, with The Battle in the Plains at Westridge Civic Centre.

It’s been a while — three decades — since boxers from Mitchell’s Plain stepped under the bright lights, when Lentegeur’s Whiteboy family, originally from the Eastern Cape, ruled the boxing ring. They didn’t just win fights — they stacked up trophies, grabbed five provincial crowns, two South African titles as pros, and even pushed their way into world-title territory. They were a force, plain and simple.

While those days may be long gone, Ashley, the youngest of five brothers, continues to carry the family legacy in his makeshift gym at his home in Westridge — training, mentoring, and showing the ropes to a new generation of fighters.

“This is history in the making,” said Whiteboy, questioning why there seems to be a reluctance among the business sector to support initiatives that can help uplift the community.

“I don’t understand it. This is an opportunity for people, especially businesses, to get involved, to be part of the story of bringing boxing back to Mitchell’s Plain,” he said.

“This can help put Mitchell’s Plain in a positive light, considering all the shootings we’ve had in the area recently,” said Whiteboy.

Whiteboy and his colleagues have been knocking on doors to secure a venue to host the tournament’s official weigh-in — a regulatory requirement to ensure safety and fairness, which typically takes place the day before the fight. In this case, the civic centre is not available due to a prior engagement, leaving the organisers searching for a suitable weigh-in venue.

Among the current crop of promising fighters under his wing are Mika-Eel Jacobs, a recently turned pro from Lentegeur who came away with a second-round knockout win at last month’s Fight Island at Cabo Beach at the Waterfront, and former Western Cape lightweight champion, Heideveld’s Shameeg Williams.

Both have been grabbing the attention of the boxing world and will step into the ring next Saturday, with Jacobs featuring in the main event — a championship bout against Otlogeng Moncwana from Upington for the vacant Western Cape Provincial Junior Welterweight title.

In fact, it was Jacobs’ performance at Fight Island — his third professional win in as many fights — that caught the attention of Johannesburg-based promoter Brad Norman’s Warrior Ascent Promotions, which ultimately resulted in the Battle in the Plains being staged in Mitchell’s Plain. It’s showtime, and for the young fighters, this may feel more like a homecoming, of sorts, as they prepare to glove up and step out in front of their home fans.

“It’s exciting to have the opportunity to showcase my boxing skills in my hometown,” said Jacobs, quick to admit that with a title on the line, there comes a bit of extra pressure.

“The main thing that Mitchell’s Plain needs right now is a boxing training facility and equipment. Therefore, any type of donations or support from local businesses, government, and even individuals can help grow the sport,” he said.

Pulling off an event this big takes plenty of behind-the-scenes negotiation, and acclaimed matchmaker Willie Saayman — whose boxing know-how hits the mark as reliably as Cupid’s arrow — is right at the heart of it.

Saayman’s job is to match fighters based on their level of skill, experience, and weight to make sure every bout is fair, competitive, and worth watching. He says the Jacobs versus Moncwana fight is a perfect matchup because both fighters have very similar records.

“As a matchmaker, you have to put yourself inside the fight you’re creating — you need to picture it right in front of your eyes. If what you imagine makes you feel both comfortable and excited, then you know you’ve got it right,” he said.

“It is a 24-hour task, as every day somewhere in the world there is a boxing tournament, so we need to follow up every single day. It is the only way to know the boxer’s strengths and weaknesses. And I love the X-factor — there is always something that will happen that will make it exciting,” he said.

Speaking from Thailand, where he is attending a World Boxing Council (WBC) convention, fight promoter Norman — who is also the chairman of WBC Cares South Africa, a charitable community upliftment programme run by the Council in various countries — said that Warrior Ascent Promotions, established in 2024, has already done 10 shows since August last year, in South Africa and abroad.

“Our goal is to get African boxers to be world champions, so we need more champions from Africa. Our slogan is ‘Africa to the world,’” he said.

He said he’s known Shameeg for a while and met Mika-Eel when the Lentegeur fighter competed against one of his boxers.

“He beat our guy in a closely contested bout, and we thought, wow, he must be good, and we’d like to work with him,” said Norman.

“I like to put our boxing shows in the communities where our boxers fight out of; therefore, we have Shameeg and Mika-Eel, who are both Warrior Ascent athletes,” he said.

“Our goal is to make boxing accessible for their communities to see them, to grow the boxers and their communities, to make them stars so we can take them overseas with the backing of their communities. The only way to build stars is to have their communities behind them,” he said.

“I see there hasn’t been a boxing tournament in Mitchell’s Plain since I’ve been alive,” said Norman, who is no stranger to the city, having represented Berea Albion at the Bayhill Premier Cup and having visited Mitchell’s Plain for a tour of Whiteboy’s gym and the area.

“I think local businesses can get behind the fighters, not just the tournament. I’m sure guys will come out and would love to eventually sponsor them,” he said.

The action starts at 1pm with a minimum-weight fight (47.63kg limit) between Marva Mono and Niko Loli, with both fighters making their pro debuts. The other four-rounder features former amateur star Philani Mfaku taking on the awkward and dangerous Issa Telembuka in the lightweight division (61.24kg).

Ardy Katompa, who recently lost to Khayelitsha's Kaya Mlata for the WBC youth super bantamweight championship, will return to the ring in a rematch against former SA champion Sabelo Ngebinyane in a featherweight clash (57.15kg).

Highly-ranked Cape Town fighter Dean Promnick will also step back into the ring, facing the tough Malangana Nzama in a six-round middleweight contest (72.50kg). A victory for Promnick will put him back as the leading middleweight contender nationally.

In the main supporting bout, one of the most anticipated clashes of the year, Ottery’s Josh Cloete and Zimbabwe's Owen Vengenayi will step toe-to-toe. Both are unbeaten and regarded as two of the best featherweight prospects in the country.

Tickets are R100 each and available from Quicket.

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