Makaringe: One of the hard men of boxing

Paging through the history and records of South African champions, there is no doubt that former South African welterweight champion Joseph Makaringe must be included in the list as one of the so-called hard men of boxing.

Amongst the other were Barney Malone, Mackeed Mofokeng, Joe Ngidi, Gordon Goba, Eddie Thomas, Mike Holt, Elijah Makhatini and Pierre Coetzer.

Born Joseph Tsakani Makaringe on 2 January 1975, he made 10 successful defences of the South Africa welterweight title, second only to Harold Volbrect who made 19 defences.

Known as “Smokin Joe”, he made his pro debut on 14 May 1996 at the Carousel Casino in Hammanskraal, winning on second-round stoppage against Edward Ramathape.

He won his next 12 fights in style before meeting the capable Virgil Kalakoda (10-2-1) for the vacant South African welterweight title at the Wembley Indoor Arena in Johannesburg.

He completely outclassed Kalakodo before referee Alfred Buqwana stepped in at two minutes 53 seconds into the 10th round to wave the fight off.

Six months later, he travelled to Denmark where he met Christian Bladt for the vacant IBF Intercontinental welterweight title, losing on a close decision.

After making a successful defence of the South African welterweight title against Tshepo Mashego, he met the big punching Jan Piet Bergman and was sensationally knocked out in the third round in a non-title fight.

Putting this setback behind him, he went on to make successful defences of the South African title against Mandisi Sizani (ko 6), Peter Malinga (tko 6), Vincent Nobela (pts 12), Colin Mayisela (tko 11), Peter Malinga (tko 5), Avhashoni Mbedzi (ko 3) and Welcome Ntshingila (tko 6).

After the Ntshingila fight, he won on an eleventh-round stoppage against Philip Kotey on 26 August 2005 in Secunda to win the vacant WBC International welterweight title and then made a successful defence of the South African welterweight title against Phumlani Menziwi (rtd 5).

Next up on 28 July 2006 was the controversial ending to his fight against Ishmael Tetteh at the Nasrec Indoor Arena in Johannesburg when the fight was stopped in the fifth round by referee Sazi Xamlashe.

According to reports, the fight was stopped when the referee said that Tetteh did not want to continue, even though Tetteh and his corner did not suggest this.

In his next fight in November 2006, he travelled to Alsterdorf, a quarter in the Hamburg-Nord borough of Hamburg, Germany and lost on a split decision against Alpaslan Aguzum to lose his WBC International welterweight title.

In his last fight on 12 May 2007 at Emperors Palace near Kempton Park, he lost on points over 12 rounds against Isaac Hlatshwayo in a bout for the vacant IBO welterweight title.

Makaringe finished with a creditable record of 30-4; 25, with only one of his losses coming inside the distance.

It has been reported that he lived in Giyani and obtained a BComm degree and that he retired from boxing because he suffered from a cataract or growth in his right eye, but after two operations it got worse.