Boxing In South Africa: Klassen Shocks Baloyi To Recapture IBF Title

By Wellington Amadulu April 19th, 2009 All Boxing Results

On Saturday night at North-West University Sports Complex in Mafikeng, South Africa, Malcolm Klassen regained his IBF Super Feather title with a seventh round stoppage of top rival Cassius Baloyi.

No one could have predicted the dominant performance that Klassen, 24-4-2 (15), produced as the former titlist had Baloyi's number the minute the bell rang to begin the first round.

Klassen simply drove through the distance that the much taller Baloyi had hoped to maintain throughout the scheduled 12 round contest and had the reigning champion in very deep trouble as early as the first frame. More...

Boxing In South Africa: Baloyi vs. Klassen For IBF Title Tonight In Mafikeng

By Wellington Amadulu April 18th, 2009 All Boxing Previews

The biggest fight thus far this year in South Africa takes place tonight at North-West University Sports Complex in Mafikeng when IBF Super Feather Champ Cassius Baloyi faces the challenge of Malcolm Klassen.

Baloyi, 36-3-1 (19), and Klassen, 23-4-2 (14), are the top two super feathers in the country and fans across South Africa have been waiting for the clash of these two for a very long time.

34 year old Baloyi has participated in many title fights during his reigns as IBO and IBF super feather, WBU feather and super bantam champion.

The Johannesburg resident holds victories over Manuel Medina, Mzonke Fana, Lehlohonolo Ledwaba (twice), Mbulelo Botile, Gairy St. Clair and Frankie Toldeo while he's come up short only against St. Clair, Isaac Hlatshwayo and Phillip N'dou.

Baloyi captured the IBF crown for the second time in his career when he posted a majority decision against reigning champion Fana a year ago and made a successful defense by stopping Argentina's Javier Osvaldo Alvarez in the third round last September. More...

Boxing Result: Donaire, Arce Win At Las Vegas

By Richard Eberline November 2nd, 2008 All Boxing Results

Nonito Donaire retained his position as the top flyweight in the world with a sixth round cuts stoppage against South African challenger Mortui Mthalane to keep the IBF and IBO titles at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, NV.

Donaire, 20-1 (13), won his 19th straight contest but it wasn't easy as opponent Mthalane came to fight and absorbed everything "The Filipino Flash" could offer and still kept coming, dishing out the leather himself at a respectable rate.

But a full-blooded right hand from Donaire produced a severe cut above the eye of Mthalane and the bout was stopped at 1:31 of the sixth frame, despite the protests of the South African battler.

On the undercard, Mexico's Jorge Arce, 51-4-1 (39), hammered out Isidro Garcia, 25-6-2 (8), with a bodyshot in the fourth after the pair engaged in a spirited slugfest from the opening bell.

With the win, Arce keeps his interim WBA Super Flyweight title and could possibly next face Australia's Vic Darchinyan in a massive unification bout sure to draw a lot of much needed attention to the 115 pound division.

In a bad blood grudge rematch, Julio Cesar Chavez, 38-0-1 (29), outpointed Matt Vanda, 39-8 (22), after ten rounds at light middle and celebrated light welter prospect Lamont Peterson, 26-0 (12), saw off Lanardo Tyner, 19-2 (11), by a wide points decision to win the vacant NABF title.

Middleweight Vanes Martirosyan, 22-0 (14), knocked out Charles Howe, 17-5-2 (9), in the first to keep an unblemished record.

Boxing In Las Vegas: Donaire, Arce Fight For World Titles Tonight At Mandalay Bay

By Richard Eberline November 1st, 2008 All Boxing Previews

Top Rank puts on a big show tonight at the Mandalay Bay in Vegas with IBF/IBO Flyweight Champion Nonito Donaire putting his belts at risk against South Africa's Moruti Mthalane as the headlining contest.

Donaire, 19-1 (12), rocketed to prominence last year when he won his titles by knocking out previously undefeated KO artist Vic Darchinyan in spectacular fashion. The 25 year old "Filipino Flash" followed that up with an eight round stoppage of Luis Maldonado in December to retain the IBF and IBO titles.

Facing Donaire tonight at Mandalay Bay will be South African and WBC International Flyweight titlist Mthalane, 22-1 (15), who brings a nine bout win streak into the ring.

This will be Mthalane's maiden voyage outside his home country but the man nicknamed "Babyface" decisively overcame seasoned Australian veteran Hussein Hussein in July to earn the shot against Donaire and has to be considered a legitimate threat.

There's a bevy of action on the undercard with popular interim WBA Super Flyweight titlist Jorge Arce, 50-4-1 (38), meeting former WBO Flyweight Champ Isidro Garcia, 25-5-2 (8), and a rematch between light middleweights Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, 37-0-1 (29), and Matt Vanda, 39-7 (22).

Undefeated light middleweight Vanes Martirosyan, 21-0 (13), faces Charles Howe, 17-4-2 (9), and Lamont Peterson, 25-0 (12), squares off with Lanardo Tyner, 19-1 (11), for the interim NABF Light Welter crown.

Boxing In South Africa: IBF Orders Talks Between Top Rank and BSP

By Boxing Press July 9th, 2008 All Press Releases

By Bongani Magasela, courtesy of The Sowetan

South Africa’s and the United States’ two top boxing promoters, Branco Milenkovic and Bob Arum, have been ordered by the IBF to begin negotiations for Nonito Donaire and Moruti Mthalane’s envisaged flyweight championship fight.

Arum, a Hall of Fame inductee who promotes under Top Rank, controls Donaire, the Filipino who holds the IBF belt, while internationally acclaimed Milenkovic of Branco Sports Production guides the career of the number one ranked Ntuzuma fighter, Mthalane. More...

Boxing In South Africa: Ali Funeka Crushes Zahir Raheem To Win IBF Eliminator

By Wellington Amadulu July 6th, 2008 All Boxing Results

One of America's top lightweights came to Jan Smuts Stadium in East London last night in search of a world title opportunity and in the eyes of many, Zahir Raheem was almost certain to return home to the US with that title challenge in his pocket.

After all, hadn't Raheem easily defeated one of the best Mexican fighters in a generation, Eric Morales, and narrowly lost a heavily disputed split decision to Acelino Freitas?

And all Raheem had to do was get past local man Ali Funeka, who had never fought outside of his home country or faced the kind of competition that Raheem had been in the ring with.

But Funeka hadn't been without success, having held the South African Super Feather crown over six defenses and the WBC International Lightweight strap for three bouts and was riding a 15 contest win streak stretching back six years.

The first round was largely a studying session for both men as they attempted to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the other in this packed stadium that usually hosts Cricket and Track and Field events. More...

Boxing In South Africa: “Hussy” Hussein Happy To Be Back

By Boxing Press June 28th, 2008 All Press Releases

By Mesuli Zifo

Top Australian flyweight fighter Hussein Hussein arrived at the East London airport yesterday for his IBF world title elimination clash against Moruti Mthalane at Jan Smuts Stadium on July 5.

Accompanied by his trainer/brother Billy and a sparring partner, Hussein chatted freely with reporters and described his visit to South Africa as his return home following a stint in the country 10 years ago when he was still an amateur. More...