WORLD-class boxing returns to the Big Top Arena at Carnival City in Brakpan when Branco Sports Production stages the highly anticipated rematch between defending IBF junior featherweight champion Takalani Ndlovu and Jeffrey Mathebula on Saturday, March 24.

The duo fought in the same arena to an exhilarating split decision outcome on September 1 2010 in an IBF title eliminator when Ndlovu (33-6, 18 KOs) was given the nod by 114-113 and way-off-the-mark 118-109 margins.

The outcome left IBF top executives such as championship chairman Lindsey Tucker perplexed as he battled to make sense of the discrepancy in the tallying of points.

It later emerged that judge Jaap van Niewenhuizen, whose original score favoured Ndlovu, had in fact awarded the fight to Mathebula by a 114-113 margin but that was little comfort for Mathebula as he still lost.

Mathebula (25-3-2, 14 KOs) dusted himself off and launched another valiant effort at the IBF title when he scored a decision over Oscar Chauke in a title eliminator to set up a rematch against Ndlovu.

Meanwhile Ndlovu justified his controversy-tainted victory when, against all odds, he dethroned Canadian nemesis Steve Molitor on March 26 2011, avenging his two previous losses to the Canadian.

Seven months later he travelled to Mexico where he saw off a stiff challenge of local hero Giovanni Caro, picking himself up off the canvas in the first round to triumph on points.

BSP boss Branco Milenkovic, whose bouts often win Fight of the Year honours, says the Ndlovu-Mathebula rematch is a perfect bout to be staged at a historic venue such as Carnival City.

"We could not have asked for more of a grudge match than the Ndlovu-Mathebula clash for our return to the Carnival City," he says. "This is a fight that needs no marketing after the war the two fighters waged in their first bout."

Since Mathebula lost, he has been crying on Milenkovic's shoulder to grant him a rematch against Ndlovu and when he took care of business against Chauke his wish was virtually granted even though the return bout still needed the IBF's rubber-stamping.

Mathebula, a former Olympian, has been blighted by bad luck just when he is on the verge of winning a world championship.

In April 2009 he appeared to have captured the WBA and IBF titles from Panamanian star Celestino Caballero - who has since moved up to featherweight to lift the WBA crown - only to be declared a loser much to the chagrin of Panamanian media, which labelled the outcome as robbery. Tickets start at R50.