Norman “Phangaman” Tshisikhawe claims he was cheated out of a victory by the referee who officiated at the provincial championship bout between him and Tshifhiwa “Timer” Munyai. Munyai was declared the winner after the referee ruled that there was a technical knock-out in the second round.

The fight between the Limpopo boxers took place a fortnight ago at the Ngoako Ramatlhodi Sport Complex in Seshego.

Tshisikhawe said he had wanted to cancel the fight even before it was to take place. He claims to have received information when still in his dressing room that the referee was biased. “I told him I wanted to cancel the fight, but he told me not to,” he said.

The fight, which was scheduled over 10 rounds, lasted for only two. It was evident from the start that Tshisikhawe would be lucky if he survived until the end of their provincial bout, as Munyai was all over him. The referee came to his rescue when he stopped the fight in the second round. At that stage Munyai was throwing killer punches at Tshisikhawe from all angles.

Munyai approached the fight aggressively, giving his opponent no time to breathe. The first round may have gone Tshisikhawe’s way, especially after Munyai was felled down by a punch and the referee counted to four. Munyai got up and continued with the fight. From there on he just became stronger and in the second round he floored Tshisikhawe with a powerful punch. The referee immediately stopped the fight.

After the event, Tshisikhawe complained that he had been cheated, “especially by the referee’s actions.” He added that he needed a rematch as soon as possible. “I slipped once … and the referee didn’t count. He stopped the fight immediately. When my opponent fell down, the referee counted to four, but to me he didn’t count,” he said.

Munyai responded saying he was ready, should Tshisikhawe ask for a rematch. He said it was a pound-for-pound fight, where he showed his jabbing skills and professionalism. “I have defended my title and that’s it,” he said.