South African mini-flyweight champion Tyla Promnick says she is ready for whatever comes next following her majority-decision victory over Thobela Nyanda last month.

The 21-year-old is the youngest national champion in the history of women’s boxing in South Africa and remains undefeated after six professional fights.

That makes her one of the most exciting prospects in the country, but both she and her trainer, Alan Toweel, are determined to carefully plot her next move.

“I think if you burn the candle too quickly, you are going to burn out,” Promnick told SPORTSCLUB.

“I believe I am still a long way from reaching the peak of my career and that my boxing ability is going to grow exponentially in the years ahead.

“I am only at the beginning of my journey and I trust my coach (Toweel) completely. He has always had my back and he is the person in my corner that I trust most. I follow his lead. Whenever he believes I am ready for the next challenge, then I will be ready.”

Whether that will be a local fight or an international opponent remains to be seen.

“I will take on any opponent put in front of me, but until then I am focused on developing and improving,” she says.

“As for world titles, I know those opportunities will come and I believe I will achieve them. But when those opportunities arrive, I want to be at my very best and fully capable of taking them.

“Right now, I still believe there is more growth ahead of me before I reach that point.”

Promnick is delighted with her win over Nyanda, though she feels the fight was more one-sided than the scorecards suggested.

“I’m obviously delighted to get the win, but I don’t think the scorecards really reflected how the fight played out,” she says.

“I felt I controlled the contest and was the dominant fighter for most of the night, so I was a little disappointed by the scoring.

“That said, the most important thing is that I got the victory. I felt incredibly fit and strong in the ring, and I believe I performed to the best of my ability on the night.

“I’m proud of what I was able to bring into the ring from all the hard work and preparation that went into this fight. It’s a performance I can build on, and I feel like this is just the beginning. The future is exciting and I believe there is only more to come from here.”

Toweel is no stranger to producing champions and is full of praise for Promnick’s potential. He has been training her since 2021 and helped her turn professional in December 2024.

“When Tyla first came to boxing, I never told her she would become a champion. I never tell any fighter that when I first see them. In boxing, there are levels and tests that every fighter has to pass,” Toweel said.

“But as she progressed, I started noticing certain qualities. The first was her work ethic. Even after fights, I don’t have to ask her to come back to the gym. In fact, I have to stop her.

“After her last fight, she wanted to train straight away and I had to tell her to go home and rest for two or three weeks. That drive to become a champion is already inside her.

“The second thing is her willingness to learn. Boxing is the sweet science. You don’t learn boxing in a week or a month. It takes years to master the sport and become a champion. Tyla wants to learn every aspect of boxing and she is constantly trying to improve.

“The third quality is her perseverance. She can have a sore hand, a sore arm or a headache and still want to train. As a coach, I appreciate that mindset, but sometimes I have to protect her from herself and make sure she rests.”

Toweel adds that Promnick has the rare focus required to be the very best.

“What stands out most is her focus,” he says. “In the gym she is completely locked in. In the last 10 years, I haven’t trained many fighters with that level of concentration and commitment to learning their craft. She is obsessed with becoming the best version of herself as a boxer.”

Toweel runs what he describes as an “old-school” gym in Johannesburg and is continuing a family tradition that stretches back more than 100 years. He echoes Promnick in saying that the next step will be carefully considered.

“Our gym is small, humble and old-school. It is very similar to the type of gym where my grandfather trained world champions and where my father later developed champions as well,” he says.

“Right now, I want us to enjoy this moment because it is historic. Tyla has become the youngest female boxer in South African history to win a national title and that is something special.

“It was also a very tough fight, so I want us to enjoy the achievement over the next month or two before making any major decisions.

“After that, we will look at the options. We might defend the South African title, or we may look at an international opponent and perhaps challenge for an international belt such as a WBC International or IBO International title.

“But there is no rush. I don’t believe in throwing a fighter into something too big too soon. Tyla still has a lot to learn and, while she is incredibly mature for her age, she still needs time to develop emotionally and physically as a boxer.

“The talent is there, the dedication is there and the opportunities will come. The important thing is to make sure she is fully ready when those opportunities arrive.”