South African boxing has lost a titan in the form of Phumlani Msibi, who recently died at the age of 57. As a television commentator and analyst, he developed a style all his own, at turns understated, informative, engaging and entertaining. And it was a style that fans warmed to, especially when he seemed to enjoy a fight or an individual boxer. His praise would be lavish. At the same time, if a boxer under performed, his criticism would always be calm and measured. He built rather than broke down, always looking to highlight the virtues of boxing. He was a constant ringside presence at Golden Gloves events, SuperSport mic in hand alongside ex-champ Brian Mitchell. The pair established a smooth chemistry, Msibi offering colour and context with Mitchell adding the technical detail and insight. It was like this for over 20 years. With Msibi in the seat, you always knew he would tell the story, and tell it well.

 

He and Mitchell subsequently worked together on the “Ringside” TV show, again drawing from their expertise to tell the stories that make SA boxing such a vibrant, compelling sport. “He’s the best I ever did commentary with,” said Mitchell, a Hall of Famer at the weekend. “He was very smart, I learned a lot from him. It was an honour to work alongside Phumlani.”

 

Promoter Rodney Berman knew Msibi well and considered him a friend. The first time he came into Msibi’s orbit was when the late Mzi Mnguni, the late great trainer and a partner of Golden Gloves, hired Msibi as ring announcer. Berman immediately recognized his class. Years later, the dapper commentator joined the travelling Golden Gloves party at a tournament in Monaco where he was never less than stimulating company. He was always friendly and almost always smiling, which reflected his warm, engaging personality. “We spoke just last week,” said Berman. “He was a very special member of the boxing community. No one ever had a bad word to say about him. He was the consummate professional. The best tribute is to say that his words always honoured the fighters.”

 

Boxingtalk salutes Phumlani Msibi and joins Golden Gloves and the entire South African boxing community in sending its deepest sympathies to his friends and family.