Boxing In South Africa: SA Champ “Cheetah” Ramoni Gets Mbelekane

The Branco Sports Productions (BSP) “Parade of Champions” International Boxing Extravaganza a fortnight ago has sparked a boxing revival at the Wembley Indoor Arena in Johannesburg. The award-winning BSP promotional duo, Branco Milenkovic and Baby Jake Matlala will be back at the well-known indoor venue on Friday, April 28, with the South African junior bantamweight title fight between defending champion Simon “Cheetah” Ramoni and the mandatory challenger Zolani Mbelekane (SA # 2).

“We were delighted with the turnout at Wembley two weeks ago and have decided to return there for this SA title fight,” said Milenkovic.

Ramoni, who falls under the tutelage of the astute Manny Fernandez, is at a watershed stage of his ring career. He has been earmarked by his promoters BSP to take over the WBC International title from his compatriot Hawk Makepula before the end of the year, with Makepula destined to challenge for a legitimate world title in the near future.

Without a doubt a Ramoni-Makepula fight is the one everyone would love to see and pundits have on occasion talked it up, but both boxers are now in the same promotional stable and a showdown against Makepula (WBC # 2, IBF # 3, WBO # 5) is unlikely, for another two years at least.

Ramoni will step into the ring with an overwhelming “favourite” tag pinned to his trunks considering he has beaten Mbelekane on two previous occasions. Ramoni posted an eighth round stoppage in Vereeniging on April 26, 2002 and followed it up with a second round shut-out at Carnival City on October 5, 2003.

Ramoni’s trainer Fernandez has learned to take nothing for granted. “Although Simon has beaten him twice already, we are not taking this fight easily. We know this is Mbelekane’s last chance to win a national title, which could make him a dangerous proposition,” he said.

“I hope this will be my boy’s last title defence. He has successfully defended five times and has very little to prove locally, so I hope Branco will steer us on an international path after this fight,” added Fernandez.

Ramoni has left his indelible mark on the game in the past 12 months, with his SA title scrap against Khulile Makeba, voted as the BSA “Fight of the Year” in 2005.

Ramoni (31 fights, 24 wins – 16 ko’s – 7 losses) against Mbelekane’s (27 fights, 16 wins – 3 ko’s – 9 losses and 2 draws), takes the edge too in the experience stakes.

Former four-time world champion and co-promoter Baby Jake Matlala says Ramoni is one of the most under-rated fighters in the country. “Every time it appears as if Ramoni is a spent force in the ring, he proves them wrong,” Matlala pointed out.

That much was evident in his last two appearances against Theo Modise and Makeba, when he was down on the canvas four times and gathered himself to still win by stoppage.

The Wembley Tournament on April 28 will be the first in a new 12-fight deal recently concluded between the award-winning BSP Consortium and the national broadcaster’s SABC Sport Network.

The undercard will feature the country’s newest heavyweight hopeful Jake Els (4-0) against another familiar face on an attempted comeback trail after a six-year absence, Mark Strydom as well as the unbeaten lightweight sensation Jasper Seroka and highly-rated featherweight Sidney Maluleka.

Boxing action gets underway at 20h00. Tickets are pegged at a very reasonable R30-00 and the Tournament will be screened live on SABC Sport’s “Blow by Blow – Uncut” on SABC 2 from 22h00.