Women's Month ended in style at the weekend when two reigning national junior featherweight and bantamweight female boxing champions - Gabisile "Simply the Best" Tshabalala and Sharrodene "Shinzo" Fortuin - captured world titles.
Tshabalala outboxed Unathi Myekeni from Mdantsane over 10 rounds for the vacant WBF junior featherweight title at Graceland Casino in Secunda, Mpumalanga, in a fight staged by Mbali "Don Queen" Zantsi.
Fortuin outpointed Maria Magdalene Rivera from Argentina for the IBO bantamweight strap in a fight staged by Tando Zonke at Mdantsane Indoor Sports Centre.
Tshabalala, 24, from Evaton in the Vaal Triangle, became the first professional female boxer from Gauteng to win a world title. Fortuin, 21, from Fort Beaufort in Eastern Cape, managed to throw the spotlight on a part of the country that is hardly known for boxing.
The naturally taciturn Tshabalala said after the fight: "I want to thank my trainer (Elias Mpembe), the WBF and the promoter for this opportunity."
Mpembe, who became the first trainer from the Vaal to produce a world champion, said: "I wish Shannon O'Connell could come down to the junior featherweight division so that we end this unfinished business."
In another title fight, Mzonke Fana laboured for 12 rounds against Said Zungu, a mediocre fighter from Tanzania, to win the WBF International lightweight belt.
In East London, Thembelane Nxoshe was outpointed by Filipino Rene Dacquel for the IBO International junior bantamweight belt.
In Ukraine, Johnny "The Hurricane" Muller was stopped in the third round by WBO Inter-Continental cruiserweight holder OlekSandr Usyk.
Tshabalala, Fortuin punch their way to glory
Women's Month ended in style at the weekend when two reigning national junior featherweight and bantamweight female boxing champions - Gabisile "Simply the Best" Tshabalala and Sharrodene "Shinzo" Fortuin - captured world titles.
Tshabalala outboxed Unathi Myekeni from Mdantsane over 10 rounds for the vacant WBF junior featherweight title at Graceland Casino in Secunda, Mpumalanga, in a fight staged by Mbali "Don Queen" Zantsi.
Fortuin outpointed Maria Magdalene Rivera from Argentina for the IBO bantamweight strap in a fight staged by Tando Zonke at Mdantsane Indoor Sports Centre.
Tshabalala, 24, from Evaton in the Vaal Triangle, became the first professional female boxer from Gauteng to win a world title. Fortuin, 21, from Fort Beaufort in Eastern Cape, managed to throw the spotlight on a part of the country that is hardly known for boxing.
The naturally taciturn Tshabalala said after the fight: "I want to thank my trainer (Elias Mpembe), the WBF and the promoter for this opportunity."
Mpembe, who became the first trainer from the Vaal to produce a world champion, said: "I wish Shannon O'Connell could come down to the junior featherweight division so that we end this unfinished business."
In another title fight, Mzonke Fana laboured for 12 rounds against Said Zungu, a mediocre fighter from Tanzania, to win the WBF International lightweight belt.
In East London, Thembelane Nxoshe was outpointed by Filipino Rene Dacquel for the IBO International junior bantamweight belt.
In Ukraine, Johnny "The Hurricane" Muller was stopped in the third round by WBO Inter-Continental cruiserweight holder OlekSandr Usyk.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending
Latest Videos