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‘I Am Going to Kill Myself… I Did Not Kill Simiso’: South African Boxer Receives Death Threats After His Opponent Tragically Passed Away

Published 06/11/2022, 2:30 AM EDT

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South African boxers Siphesihle Mntungwa and Simiso Buthelezi faced each other on 5th June for the WBF African lightweight title, but a tragedy overshadowed their bout as Buthelezi passed away following the fight.

The fight was stopped in the 10th round after Buthelezi started to move towards the corner and threw punches in the air, following a knockdown. He was then taken to a hospital in Durban and was put in a coma. Tragically, it was then announced by Boxing South Africa that Buthelezi has passed away due to brain injuries. He had a professional record of 4-0 and seemed to be on the verge of victory before the incident happened.

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Siphesihle Mntungwa receives threats

Following this tragedy, his opponent Siphesihle Mntungwa has been receiving a lot of threats and abuse from fans on social media. It is reported that the boxer might be on the verge of suicide after facing this mass abuse.

The boxer felt frustrated as many people are holding him responsible for the death of his opponents and had this to say to SowetanLive, “I came under heavy criticism and insults on social media platforms when Simiso was hospitalized; it has taken another level now that he has passed away, I just can’t take it anymore. One thing is left for me – I am going to kill myself.”

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Moreover, he adds that even his own neighbors have sent him threatening messages saying, “Even my neighbors have posted very ugly messages about me on social media” 

Fans react to the tragic loss

following this event many people have come out on social media to show their condolences

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The loss of Simiso Buthelezi was a tragic event that will be remembered in the boxing world for a long time. Hopefully, better safety regulations are made to avoid such incidents in the future. But Unfortunately, this just goes to show that boxing is still a dangerous sport and fighters and people all over the world need to keep that in mind before jumping into a ring. Especially against a pro boxer.

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What are your thought on the incident and the outrage from fans that has followed?

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Written by:

Sahil Sood

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Sahil Sood is a Boxing writer at EssentiallySports. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communication and has a keen interest in the sweet science of boxing. His journey in boxing began when he first saw highlights of Mike Tyson as a teenager and then followed the rise of Floyd Mayweather Sahil is an avid fan of Tyson Fury and Vasiliy Lomachenko and strongly believes that Lomachenko is pound for pound the best boxer in the world.
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Edited by:

Ajinkya Aswale