Mbulelo Botile (right) defended his IBF bantamweight title for the third time with an 11th round knockout of Ancee Gedeon in April 1996. (Photo by Angie Carlino)
Mbulelo Botile was a talented boxer-puncher who won bantamweight and featherweight world titles during the 1990s-early 2000s.
Botile, who was the second eldest of seven children, was born on 23 July 1972 in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. He grew up in nearby East London.
“My mom and dad divorced (when I was 3),” Botile told The Ring. “My mother was working and there was no one to look after us, so she decided to take us to her mother (in Duncan Village). I was raised by my grandmother.
“12 of us slept in the dining room – my brothers and sisters, me, my grandparents and cousins. There was no bed for us; we slept on the floor.”
His boxing journey started at an early age.
“At the age of 7, I was invited to join David Qotile boxing gym,” he recalled. “I went there and felt at home. That’s when I started boxing with my younger brother. In the early stages, because boxing gloves were rare, we got creative and made our gloves out of broken milk cartons and put paper inside as cushions.
Botile after defeating Gedeon. (Photo by Angie Carlino)
“My grandmother used to lend me and my brother money to go to championships. I won a few times, but I lost in the final.”
Eventually, however, his talent emerged and his amateur career blossomed. He was the East London champion five times and also the national champion in 1988.
Botile, who went 210-8 as an amateur, made a surprising professional debut in July 1989 at the age of 17.
“I turned pro as a replacement because my friend was sick, so I decided to replace him five days before the fight,” he said. “I was always in the gym and fit; I was ready and I won in three rounds by knockout. I made R150 (about $55 at the time).”
Botile won his first 11 fights at home in East London before coming up against the much more experienced Derrick Whiteboy, who had made six successful defenses of his national title, in May 1994.
“Everybody said he was going to kill me, but I proved them wrong,” said Botile, who won a 12-round split decision. “The fight was good. I handled him until the last round. I didn’t give him a chance. In my opinion it should have been unanimous.”
Soon after, Colombia’s Harold Mestre picked up the IBF bantamweight title vacated by Orlando Canizales. For his first defense, Mestre traveled to Johannesburg, South Africa, to confront Botile in April 1995.
South African boxing royalty: (L-R) Vuyani Bungu, Welcome Ncita and Mbulelo Botile. (Photo by Teddy Blackburn)
“The build-up was good because I worked with former IBF (junior featherweight) champion Welcome Ncita and IBF (junior featherweight) champion Vuyani Bungu,” he said. “I expected 12 hard rounds, but I was so shocked that I finished him with two punches in the second round.
“My family, friends and my stablemates Ncita, Bungu and others – Mthobeli Mhlophe, Jackie Gunguluza, Hawk Makepula and Zolani Petelo – did a big braai (barbeque). I met Nelson Mandela; I won the Presidential Award in 1995. He was like a great grandfather. He was a kind, lovely person.”
Over the next 18 months, Botile was particularly active in achieving five successful defenses, notably Sammy Stewart (UD 12), Ancee Gedeon (KO 11) and Aristead Clayton (UD 12).
vs. Marlon Arlos (fourth defense), via Salita Promotions on YouTube:
“At that time I was always busy with training, so I didn’t have a chance to enjoy myself,” he said. “But I liked being world champion.”
Next came the opportunity to fight in the USA on Showtime against 1992 Olympic bronze medalist Tim Austin on a Don King undercard in Nashville, Tennessee in July 1997.
“I was not myself. They forced me to fight and didn’t tell me my father had passed away,” he revealed. “I broke (Austin’s) jaw in the second round. But I made a mistake, so he stopped me (in lap 8).
vs. Tim Austin, via Ironbar Boxing on YouTube:
Weight issues meant Botile skipped junior featherweight altogether and set out to become a featherweight champion.
Botile won four fights at the new weight before being matched with former IBF 126-pound titlist Hector Lizarraga in Washington, DC in November 1999.
The proud South African survived the gut check. “I was fit and prepared for the fight,” said Botile. “The battle was tough. He was able to punch to the body, but I was able to win it on points.”
vs. Lizarraga, via Frank Aleman on YouTube:
In an interesting bit of lineage, Lizarraga won the vacant title in 1997 by stopping Ncita. He then lost the belt to Manuel Medina, who relinquished it to Paul Ingle. Botile’s win over Lizarraga was an IBF eliminator, but almost a year would pass before he got his chance against Ingle in Sheffield, England. It was a chance to finally bring the belt to South Africa.
Mbulelo in the corner during his fight against Frankie Toledo in 2001. (Photo by Pat Orr)
“I prepared for a long time, the whole year, from January to December,” he recalled. “I worked with many boxers like Gungaluza, Mhlope, Bungu.
“Paul was a good boxer. The battle was close. I managed to stop him in the last round. I remember him being taken by paramedics.”
Unfortunately, Ingle was placed in a coma and underwent brain surgery to remove a clot. Although Ingle has regained consciousness, he lives with the consequences of the tragic night every day.
“I wasn’t myself after the fight because I can’t enjoy myself when someone is fighting for his life,” he said. “I always pray for his recovery. The fight was on my mind.”
Botile could not shake off those disturbing moments and surrendered his title to Frankie Toledo (UD 12) in his next fight. He was largely inactive, but fought two more times, losing both, before retiring in 2005 with a record of 27-4 (16 knockouts).
Life remains difficult for Botile, who owned three taxis but has since sold them and is looking for work. Now 52, he is divorced, has five children and lives in Duncan Village, East London.
He graciously took time to talk to The Ring about the best he’s fought in 10 key categories.
DEAR JOB
Tim Austin: “The sting was a problem for me. It disturbed my concentration.”
BEST DEFENSE
Austin: “He knew I was a hard puncher so he was mobile and didn’t want to mess with me and kept using his jab. I tried so hard to catch him, but it wasn’t easy.”
BEST FOOTWORK
Austin: “He moved around a lot.”
BEST HAND SPEED
Ancee Gedeon: “Every time I tried to attack him, he threw a lot of punches and quick punches.”
SMARTEST
Austin: “He used his jab and moved around to make sure I couldn’t get close because he knew I was strong.”
STRONGEST
Gedeon: “He kept coming and was a tough fighter – very, very strong.”
BEST KNOW
Austin: “I hit him with some good shots and he took it.”
DEAR PUNCHER
Hector Lizarraga: He was a body puncher. After the fight I went to the bathroom; when I finished, I saw blood and was scared.”
BEST GOAT SKILLS
Austin: “Ancee, Paul Ingle and Tim. I would say Tim – very talented, bronze medalist at the Olympics, and he’s had a good career.”
BEST OVERALL
Austin: “He was smart, moved around and used his jab. He has everything needed in the box.”
Questions and/or comments can be sent to Anson at (email protected).
