Poor year for SA boxing on the world scene

South African boxing suffered a setback when one of the most highly rated fighters in world terms, WBO bantamweight champion, Zolani Tete was stopped in three rounds by Filipino, John Riel Casimero in Birmingham, England on Saturday, November 30.

At present we have only four fighters, Moruti Mthalane, Gideon Buthelezi, Kevin Lerena and Ayanda Nkosi who are champions of one or other of the world boxing organisations.

Mthalane is regarded as the greatest flyweights to come out of South Africa since the days of Jake Tuli,who shocked the world when he travelled to Newcastle, England to stop the vastly experienced 65 fight veteran Teddy Gardner on September 28, 1952, in only his eleventh fight to win the Empire flyweight title which was highly regarded in world terms at the time.

The 37-year-old Mthalane who has a record of 38-2; 25 is the only South African fighter to hold one of the major organisation belts, and has also held the IBO flyweight belt.

He makes the third defence of his IBF flyweight belt in his second reign as IBF champion (he relinquished the belt in January 2014), when he travels to Yokohama, Japan to meet former WBA minmumweight, WBC flyweight and IBF light flyweight champion, Akira Yaegashi, 36, of Japan, who has a record 28-6; 6 (16), and has been fighting as a pro since March 2005, on Monday, December 23.

Gideon Buthelezi, 33, makes the sixth defence of his IBO junior bantamweight belt at the International Convention in East Londonon Monday, December 16 against 27-year-old Alexander Marin 18-0; 11 from Romania.

Ayanda Nkosi 14-1; 8 won the vacant World Boxing Federation lightweight belt on September 28 at the Portuguese Hall in Johannesburg, on a seventh round stoppage against Emanuel Lopez (30-11-1).

The fourth South African to hold a version of a world title is 27-year-old Kevin Lerena 24-1; 11 who holds the IBO cruiserweight belt and has made five successful defences of the belt.

It has been reported that Lerena will make the next defence of his belt on February 8, 2020 in Germany when he faces the 49-year-old Firat Arslan 47-8-3; 32 of Germany.

South African fans will be hoping that Mthalane, Buthelezi and Joyi who are well into their thirties can win their fights and restore some pride to South African boxing.

They have tough contests and any one of the three losing would add to a disastrous 2019 for South African boxing.

Unfortunately South African boxing is at an all-time low because of various factors including the high cost of importing world class fighters to compete here for major titles.

Local boxing fans have lost interest with South African title fights being devalued because of the number of minor belts on offer by the various organisations.

Fans are confused with all the belts around in boxing today, with each governing body (WBA, WBC, WBO and IBF), having their own belts and the lesser organisations (IBO and WBF) also having a multitude of belts on the line.

For example Saul “Canelo” heads the WBC middleweights as the “Franchise” champion and Jermall Charlo is the WBC middleweight champion.

Some of the organisations have a super champion, secondary or regular champion, interim champion and champion in recess, which makes it more confusing.

RECORD OF SOUTH AFRICANS IN 'WORLD' TITLE FIGHTS IN 2019

Feb 16 2019 DeeJay Kriel W TKO 12 Carlos Licona (Mexico),Los Angeles,USA, (IBF minimumweight title) – Kriel subsequently relinquished the belt.

Mar 17 2019 Kevin Lerena W TKO 4 Artur Mann (Germany),Kempton Park,South Africa. (IBO cruiserweight title).

Mar 23 2019 Rofhiwa Maemu L TKO 5 Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov (Tajikstan),

Ekateringburg,Russia. (IBO junior lightweight title).

May 13 2019 Moruti Mthalane W PTS 12 Masayuki Kuroda (Japan) (IBF flyweight title).

Jun 8 2019 Kevin Lerena W PTS 12 Vasil Ducar, Kempton Park,South Africa. (IBO cruiserweight title).

Jul 6 2019 Thulani Mbenge L PTS 12 Sebastian Formella (Germany), Hamburg, Germany. (IBO welterweight title).

Jul 26 2019 Gideon Buthelezi, W TKO 1 Adrian Jiminez (Mexico),East London. (IBO junior bantamweight title).

Sep 21 2019 Kevin Lerena W TKO 3 Sefer Seferi (Albania), Kempton Park.(IBO cruiserweight title).

Sep 28 2019 Ayanda Nkosi W RTD 7 Emanuel Lopez (Mexico), Johannesburg. (vacant WBF lightweight title).

Oct 25 2019 Simpiwe Konkco L PTS 12 Whaneng Menayothin (Thailand), Chonburi,Thailand. (WBC minimumweight title).

Nov 17 2019 Michael Mokoena L TKO 8 Daud Cino Yordon (Indonesia), Baku, Indonesia. (vacant IBA junior welterweight title).

Nov 30 2019 Zolani Tete L TKO 3 John Riel Casimero (Philippines), Birmingham, England. (WBO bantamweight title).

Dec 16: Gideon Buthelezi -TBA - Akira Yaegashi, (Japan), at East London (IBO junior bantamweight title).

Dec 16: Nkosinathi Joyi - TBA - Joey Canoy (Philippines) at East London (IBO mini flyweight title).

Dec 23: Moruti Mthalane - TBA- Akira Yaegashi (Japan), at Yokohama, Japan. (IBF flyweight title).