South African welterweight champion Shaun Ness and Ayanda Mthembu should both be given at least 30 days off the gym, which is a precaution that will enable them to recover from their severe punishment they received in their savage 12 rounder on Sunday.
They exchanged powerful blows vigorously and aggressively with little care of defence. A climactic conclusion, ebb and flow, determination and heart - this brutal bout at Emperors Palace had it all except for knockdowns.
It was a topsy-turvy affair which could have gone either way. Referee Thabo Spampool handled the fight so well.
Sadly Ness, 38, from the south of Johannesburg, and 22-year-old Mthembu from Mandeni in KwaZulu-Natal, took too much punishment. It is through such wickedness that boxers suffer permanent injuries.
Ness - who was ushered to war by trainers Colin Nathan, Vusi Mtolo and Springkaan Khongoane - was declared the winner by all three judges.
The champion improved to 10 wins from 13 fights.
Mthembu, whose corner was manned by Zwilenkosi Magudulela, suffered his third defeat in eight bouts.
The bout topped the Prospect at the Palace bill that was staged jointly by Golden Gloves and African Ring of promoters Rodney Berman and Jeff Ellis.
Earlier on, Ness's stable-mate Deejay Kriel was presented a gift he did not deserve when referee Simon Mokadi shockingly stopped the bout Kriel was losing to Nyelisani Thagambega in the seventh round. Trainer Harold Volbrecht was justifiable livid.
Thagambega, who dropped Kriel twice in rounds two and four, threw a punch and missed. He then spun around, giving Kriel his back, and Mokadi stepped in between and stopped the fight.
Mokadi should have warned Thagambega not to turn against his opponent, as per rules.
Thulani Mbenge's evolution from the 2014 Commonwealth Games to being one of the contenders for Ness's belt continued when he dispatched Zenzele Ntanzi in the first round. That was Mbenge's seventh straight win and as many stoppages, since he turned professional last year.
Berman's favourite prospect Lucky Mongebane knocked Caiphus Thomas in one round.
l In Queenstown, Eastern Cape, Ali Funeka retained his WBO Africa welterweight belt with a third round stooppage of Justice Addy from Ghana.
KwaZulu-Natal produced a national super middleweight champion when Lee Dyer dethroned Balewo Weliya, while Noxolo Makhanavu retained her flyweight title against Siphosethu Nxazonke.
Duo deserve rest after brutal fight
South African welterweight champion Shaun Ness and Ayanda Mthembu should both be given at least 30 days off the gym, which is a precaution that will enable them to recover from their severe punishment they received in their savage 12 rounder on Sunday.
They exchanged powerful blows vigorously and aggressively with little care of defence. A climactic conclusion, ebb and flow, determination and heart - this brutal bout at Emperors Palace had it all except for knockdowns.
It was a topsy-turvy affair which could have gone either way. Referee Thabo Spampool handled the fight so well.
Sadly Ness, 38, from the south of Johannesburg, and 22-year-old Mthembu from Mandeni in KwaZulu-Natal, took too much punishment. It is through such wickedness that boxers suffer permanent injuries.
Ness - who was ushered to war by trainers Colin Nathan, Vusi Mtolo and Springkaan Khongoane - was declared the winner by all three judges.
The champion improved to 10 wins from 13 fights.
Mthembu, whose corner was manned by Zwilenkosi Magudulela, suffered his third defeat in eight bouts.
The bout topped the Prospect at the Palace bill that was staged jointly by Golden Gloves and African Ring of promoters Rodney Berman and Jeff Ellis.
Earlier on, Ness's stable-mate Deejay Kriel was presented a gift he did not deserve when referee Simon Mokadi shockingly stopped the bout Kriel was losing to Nyelisani Thagambega in the seventh round. Trainer Harold Volbrecht was justifiable livid.
Thagambega, who dropped Kriel twice in rounds two and four, threw a punch and missed. He then spun around, giving Kriel his back, and Mokadi stepped in between and stopped the fight.
Mokadi should have warned Thagambega not to turn against his opponent, as per rules.
Thulani Mbenge's evolution from the 2014 Commonwealth Games to being one of the contenders for Ness's belt continued when he dispatched Zenzele Ntanzi in the first round. That was Mbenge's seventh straight win and as many stoppages, since he turned professional last year.
Berman's favourite prospect Lucky Mongebane knocked Caiphus Thomas in one round.
l In Queenstown, Eastern Cape, Ali Funeka retained his WBO Africa welterweight belt with a third round stooppage of Justice Addy from Ghana.
KwaZulu-Natal produced a national super middleweight champion when Lee Dyer dethroned Balewo Weliya, while Noxolo Makhanavu retained her flyweight title against Siphosethu Nxazonke.
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