After the Mexican War: What’s Next for Sivenathi Nontshinga?

On Friday, February 16, Sivenathi Nontshinga (13-1, 10 KOs) gained revenge against Adrian Curiel (24-5-1, 5 KOs) at the Auditorium Guelaguetza in Oaxaca, Mexico. The card was streamed live on DAZN in over 200 countries across the globe. Now the “Special One” has regained his IBF junior flyweight title, attention now turns to who could be the next opponent for the South African fighter.

The Future for Sivenathi Nontshinga

Recap of Nontshinga vs. Curiel

The first half of the fight saw Curiel put constant pressure on Nontshinga, throwing thudding hooks to the body. The South African fighter never seemed in trouble but was being outworked despite having success on the rare occasions he pirouetted off the ropes. Curiel seemed to tire as we entered the middle rounds – and Nontshinga created distance in round eight and backed his Mexican opponent up with eye-catching combinations.

Read More: Five Underrated Flyweight Boxers to Watch Out for in 2024

The “Special One” was turning the tide quickly – and landed two heavy left hands in round nine, which rocked Curiel, who somehow survived the round. Nontshinga stalked the champion in round 10 before rocking him again, which prompted the ref to begin a count. The South African fighter smelt blood and pounced, unloading a flurry of fast, accurate combinations, prompting the referee to wave off the fight, awarding the “Special One” the IBF junior flyweight title.

Sunny Edwards

Sunny Edwards (20-1, 4 KOs) suffered his first professional defeat against the impressive Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez and has recently spoken about a possible move down in weight to junior flyweight. Edwards has great lateral movement and picks his punches brilliantly, making him a nightmare for the opposition. He is superb at making his opponents miss, and a possible match-up against Nontshinga would be fascinating. Edwards has also seemingly welcomed the fight via his X account.

Christian Araneta

Christian Araneta (24-2, 19 KOs) has positioned himself as the mandatory for the IBF junior flyweight title following his first-round destruction of Arvin Magramo on January 26. Araneta has lost twice in his career, with one defeat against Nontshinga in 2021, when he actually knocked the South African down in round 12, despite ultimately losing by unanimous decision. The Philippines fighter carries power throughout his fights, and Nontshinga will have to use his jab and control the distance more effectively.

Kenshiro Teraji

Kenshiro Terjai (23-1, 14 KOs) is the current WBA super world flyweight champion and WBC world light flyweight champion and was involved in a 12-round war last time out against Carlos Cañizales. “The Amazing Boy” is a classy operator who punches with impressive accuracy and variation. He proved against Cañizales – he could go toe-to-toe and throw bombs with anyone, but he’s at his best when light on his feet, controlling the distance and frustrating his opponent. A fight with Nonthshinga may not be next, but it would undoubtedly be an action-packed fight with both capable of fighting well on the inside or outside, with plenty of power evident in both fighters.