A flood of questions greeted Sivenathi Nontshinga’s knockout loss against Regie Suganob in their IBF junior flyweight title eliminator in Tagbilaran City, Bohol, in the Philippines, on Saturday.
Nontshinga was knocked out in the fifth round and remained prone for anxious moments while an oxygen mask was put on.
He had scored a knockdown in the third round when he caught Suganob off balance with a right hand, though the Filipino appeared more embarrassed than hurt by the shot.
Like their first fight at the East London International Convention Centre in July 2023, when he dropped Suganob in the first round en route to a unanimous points decision to retain his IBF title, Nontshinga fought on the back foot in Tagbilaran City despite being the visiting boxer.
To make matters worse, he fought with his guard at his waistline as if he was preserving himself, though the strategy invited Suganob to take charge of the bout.
It also sparked questions about whether Nontshinga was indeed comfortable campaigning in the junior flyweight division, as his camp had claimed.
Now 27, he has fought in the division since making his professional debut 11 years ago.
However, after surrendering the IBF title for the second time when he was stopped in nine rounds by Masamichi Yabuki in October 2024, he hinted at moving up to the flyweight, admitting for the first time that it was becoming increasingly difficult to squeeze his frame into the smaller weight class.
After a lengthy layoff with only a two-round stoppage victory over overmatched 40-year-old Sunday Kiwale in November, Nontshinga decided to remain at junior flyweight, with trainer Colin Nathan insisting he was comfortable in the weight.
“Nontshinga easily made 108 lbs in his fight against Kiwale, so he is not struggling in the junior flyweight,” he said.
Nathan did not offer excuses after Saturday’s loss.
Instead, he congratulated Suganob for securing a world title shot against either Thanongsak Simsri of Thailand or Filipino Mark Vecelles, who clash in Japan on September 26.
While Nontshinga’s weight is the big talking point, his readiness also came under scrutiny after he was involved in a car crash a week before the fight.
However, his handlers said the accident did not affect him as he escaped unscathed.
Fighting for the first time since the tragic death of his role model, Zolani Tete — he was one of the speakers at the funeral — could also have affected him psychologically.
Despite the damaging knockout loss, his third in 15 bouts, Nontshinga still has age on his side to chase a historic third world title.
But whether he will achieve the feat in the junior flyweight division remains to be seen.