A professional boxer, Prince Ndlovu, has chosen to forget about the “robbed fight” between him and South African featherweight champion Oscar Chauke and focus on his future.

Ndlovu was beaten by Chauke on points over 12 rounds at the Giyani community hall on 20 June. Immediately after the fight, he said that he had been cheated by the referee's actions, which had influenced the judge's decision.

However, he told Limpopo Mirror on Friday that he realised that the best way to continue to establish himself as boxer was to focus on upcoming bouts. “The fight between me and Oscar opened more doors for me, though,” he said. “I fought like the champ that I am and even if the judges declared it a loss for me it was one of my best fights. I'm back at the gym preparing for the next fight in September, possibly for an African title. I'm polishing my boxing skills and my next fight will be epic.”

A resident of Hasani village outside Malamulele, Ndlovu's love for boxing came from his father who used to take him along to watch boxing matches. “I decided to sign up for boxing at the age of 10 under an amateur boxing trainer, Elias Baloyi, who is Cassius Baloyi's father,” he said.

As a young boxer, Ndlovu had to learn to balance his school work and his training since he had to train every day, which was not easy for a boy his age. He had no time to play with his mates because boxing needed a lot of dedication.

“At the age of 18, I was one of the young best boxers in amateur bouts and was also part of the national team,” he said. “It was also at that stage when I was crowned best boxer of the tournament in Durban.”

When he matriculated, he moved to Johannesburg to continue with his studies. At the age of 21, he started out as a professional boxer with Hotbox Gym. “I have fought in 14 bouts, of eight were wins, two were losses and four were draws,” he said.

Ndlovu is currently the Limpopo featherweight champion.

The 28-year-old Ndlovu now resides in Malamulele Section B. Speaking about his future, he stated that good things were coming his way. “I know I have the talent and a good trainer, so I'm going all the way to the top and will make my province proud,” he said. “People from Malamulele are my biggest fans.”