Boxing News

Tonight, the action in East London will be happening at the Orient Theater as top American lightweight Zahir Raheem comes to South Africa in an IBF final title eliminator against local hero Ali "Rush Hour" Funeka.

Raheem, 29-2 (17), is perhaps most famous for defeating Mexican legend Eric Morales in 2005 before losing a controversial vacant WBO title challenge to Acelino Freitas a year later. More...

Boxing mad East London in the Eastern Cape saw a big show last night at the city's famed Orient Theatre.

In a thrilling contest, IBO Minimumweight Champion Nkosinathi Joyi had to climb off the canvas before he could stave off and then finish the spirited challenge of Mexican titlist Sammy Gutierrez in the seventh round.

The Central American import went after Joyi from the start, putting on tremendous pressure in true Mexican style. The champion dealt with the adversity well, rocking the challenger with solid countershots but was down in the fifth from a perfectly placed body punch from Gutierrez.

Joyi beat the count and took advantage of the haste shown by Gutierrez, who resorted to winging big punches that the champion easily saw coming and avoided. More...

It was a four title fight night at the Emperor's Palace in Kempton Park last evening with two IBO and two South African crowns on the line.

It was hard to call the action between IBO Super Flyweight Champ Masibulele "Hawk" Makepula, 28-5 (18), of East London and his local rival, Zolile "Bonecrusher" Mbityi, 32-13-3 (11), who is the reigning South African Champ at 115 lb.

By the time the 12th round came to a close, 37 year old Mbityi was declared the winner and new IBO titlist by split decision scores of 116-113, 115-113 and 115-116.

A former IBO and South African Champ at flyweight, Mbityi has now won four in a row while Makepula was coming off a loss to Jorge Arce of Mexico in a WBC Super Flyweight title eliminator.

One of the best bantamweights in the world, Silence Mabuza, 22-2 (18), made an appearance at Emperor's Palace and "African Spice" pounded out a fifth round stoppage of Argentine visitor Damian David Marchiano, 15-4-1 (15), of Buenos Aires. More...