Best I Faced: Mbulelo Botile

Mbulelo Botile was a talented boxer-puncher who won world titles at bantamweight and featherweight during the 1990s-early 2000s.

Botile, who was the second oldest of seven children, was born in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, on July 23, 1972. He grew up in nearby East London.

“My mom and dad got divorced [when I was 3],” Botile told The Ring. “My mother was working and then 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.

“We were 12 sleeping in the dining room – my brothers and sisters, me, my grandparents and cousins. There was no bed for us; we were sleeping on the floor.”

His boxing journey began 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 is when I started boxing with my younger brother. In the early stages, because boxing gloves were scarce, we used to be creative and make gloves out of crushed cardboard milk containers and put paper inside as cushions.

Botile after defeating Gedeon. (Photo by Angie Carlino)

“My grandmother always borrowed money for me and my brother to go to championships. I won a couple of times, but I lost in the finals.”

Eventually, however, his talent came to the fore and his amateur career blossomed. He was the East London champion five times and also the national champion in 1988.

Botile, who had gone 210-8 as an amateur, made a surprising professional debut at 17 years old in July 1989.

“I turned pro as a substitute because my friend was sick, and 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 by knockout in three rounds. I made R150 (about $55 at the time).”

Botile won his first 11 fights at home in East London before he stepped up against the vastly more experienced Derrick Whiteboy, who had made six successful defenses of his national title, in May 1994.

“Everybody said he was gonna 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 that, Colombia’s Harold Mestre picked up the IBF bantamweight title vacated by Orlando Canizales. For his first defense, Mestre journeyed to Johannesburg, South Africa, to face 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 fine because I worked with former IBF [junior featherweight] champion Welcome Ncita and IBF [junior featherweight] champion Vuyani Bungu,” he said. “I was expecting 12 hard rounds, but I was so shocked I finished him with two punches in Round 2.

“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 nice, lovely person.” 

Over the next 18 months, Botile was particularly active in notching five successful defenses, notably beating 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 U.S. 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 passed away,” he revealed. “I broke [Austin’s] jaw in the second round. But I made a mistake, so he stopped me [in Round 8].”

vs. Tim Austin, via Ironbar Boxing on YouTube:

Weight issues meant Botile jumped over junior featherweight altogether and set about becoming a champion at featherweight. 

Botile won four fights at the new weight before he was matched with former IBF 126-pound titlist Hector Lizarraga in Washington, D.C., in November 1999.

The proud South African survived the gut check. “I was fit and prepared for the fight,” said Botile. “The fight was tough. He could bang to the body, but I managed to win it on points.”

vs. Lizarraga, via Frank Aleman on YouTube:

In an interesting bit of lineage, Lizarraga had won the vacant title in 1997 by stopping Ncita. He then lost the belt to Manuel Medina, who gave it up to Paul Ingle. Botile’s victory over Lizarraga had been an IBF eliminator, but almost a year would pass before he got his shot at 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 fight was close. I managed to stop him in the final round. I remember he got taken by paramedics.”

Sadly, Ingle was put into a coma and had brain surgery to remove a clot. Though Ingle regained consciousness, he lives every day with the effects of the tragic night.

“I wasn’t myself after the fight, because I can’t enjoy myself when someone fought for his life,” he said. “I always pray for his recovery. The fight was on my mind.”

Botile was unable to shake off those harrowing moments and yielded his title to Frankie Toledo (UD 12) in his next fight. He was largely inactive but did fight twice more, both losses, before walking away with a record of 27-4 (16 knockouts) in 2005.

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 speak to The Ring about the best he fought in 10 key categories.

BEST JAB

Tim Austin: “The jab was a problem to me. It was disturbing my concentration.”

BEST DEFENSE

Austin: “He knew I was a hard puncher, so he was mobile and didn’t want to mix 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 HANDSPEED

Ancee Gedeon: “Every time I tried to attack him, he threw a lot of punches and fast punches.”

SMARTEST

Austin: “He used his jab and moved around to make sure that I was not able to get close, because he knew I was strong.”

STRONGEST

Gedeon: “He kept coming and was a tough fighter – very, very strong.”

BEST CHIN

Austin: “I hit him with some good punches and he took them.”

BEST 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 BOXING SKILLS

Austin: “Ancee, Paul Ingle and Tim. I would say Tim – very talented, bronze medalist at the Olympics, and he had a good career.”

BEST OVERALL

Austin: “He was smart, moved around and used his jab. He has everything that is needed in boxing.”

Questions and/or comments can be sent to Anson at [email protected].

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