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Female boxer fighting to be the voice of the voiceless

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Fighting through childhood trauma and into a better life characterises the boxing sensation that is Smangele “Smash” Hadebe.

Her dedication to the no-nonsense sport of boxing has brought Smash a career and a pathway to financial stability, and now she is ready to fight on the international stage. In August, Smash will take on Mexico’s Alma Meraz in a World Boxing Council international bout in Midvaal, a fight that will announce her presence in the boxing world.

Female boxer makes international debut:

Smangele Smash Hadebe is a boxer’s boxer, a technician, on the cusp of an international breakthrough, and even through all her focus, she knows who she is fighting for each time she steps into the ring.

“People love when I go in the ring, they love my boxing, they always comment and that makes me happy as long as they are enjoying I am happy,” says Hadebe.

Smash excels in a brutal sport that exposes even the well-prepared fighter.

“it’s a very dangerous sport, it depends on what kind of boxer you face in the ring and the only thing I can say is just we pray before we get in the ring, it is a risky sport. We are there to win and to win, we have to have that anger and passion so everything goes into it,” Hadebe added.

She has fought her way into WBC international contention. She is one fight away from getting a top three ranking, but for Smash she is also fighting to be a voice for abused women and children.

“With me now fighting for the cause that I am fighting for women and children that are abused, that for me has made me even more braver than I was before and I think that’s the one thing that is putting me up there and to also motivate other young girls and women in this sport and to support each other support me as I support you to lift each other up,” Hadebe explains.

Smash says a boxing film inspired her to take the first steps into a boxing gym, but who she is fighting for, keeps her in the gym, and committed to training from early morning to late night, six days a week.

“Me putting my voice out there fighting for them is something I want them to be speaking about because it is not nice being quiet and I kept quiet all this while and now it’s my time to speak up and I want them to do the same not keep quiet, I know there is a young girl a young boy who is going through what I went through at that age and I want them to speak up and to all those adults out there listen to the youngsters when they tell you something important,” Hadebe reiterates.

Her WBC international fight has been three years in the making. Her dedication coupled with first class management and training means Smash is ready.

“I found where I belong, we females we train with the guys, I train as much as the guys do and I spar with the guys so for me it is something that improves me as a boxer and as a women to fit in to show people that I can do this sport I can do better than men do sometimes,” says Hadebe.

Smash’s WBC International bout will be held in Midvaal in August, against the Mexican brawler, Alma Meraz.

“I will be world champion that is all I can say because that is every boxers dream,” Hadebe elaborates.

That dream is almost a reality through a lot of hard work.

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