Who will fill the big shoes of Ronald “King” Malindi, the reigning SA bantamweight ruler who succumbed to gunshot wounds two weeks ago?
Will it be Landile “Man Down” Ngxeke or Lusizi “Speed Fire” Manzana who will battle it out for the vacant title on December 16?
Malindi, from Tshakhuma outside Thohoyandou in Limpopo, defended it four times, one more than to claim the outright ownership of the crown. He was shot in Westbury and died at Helen Joseph Hospital.
Award-winning promoter Ayanda Matiti, whose Xaba Promotion will organise its fourth edition of Night of Champions on December 16, said boxing followers must come in their numbers to Orient Theatre to get the answer.
His tournament will feature five national championship fights.
“The intention is to set a benchmark here,” said Matiti. “It will be the first time for us to stage title fights since we started staging this event.”
He wants to end the year in style. “This will also be a Christmas gift to East London people who work outside the Eastern Cape province,” said Matiti. “You can’t tell [who'll win] until boxers get it on.”
He was asked for his prediction. Matiti made an example about Jermell Charlo who told the whole world that he was at the same level as Canelo Alvarez.
“But Charlo never showed up on the night of the fight [September 30]. He fought just to survive, so we don’t know which boxer will come out on December 16,” said the former professional boxer.
“Like any other boxer, Manzana has equal opportunities to win the fight. However I believe there is no bantamweight fighter here to beat Landile,”
Another one to watch carefully will be the contest for the national junior bantamweight belt that was vacated by Ngxeke.
Phumelela “The Truth” Cafu will take on promising newcomer Enathi Stelle. Cafu has already held the WBF International and WBA Intercontinental belts but he has never won an SA belt.
Cafu – the current IBF International junior bantamweight champion – is rated No 8 by the the IBF, 13th by the WBC, 14th by the WBA and 15th by the WBO.
Tickets will range between R200 (normal seat) and R500 VIP ringside seating.
Ngxeke and Manzana to slug it out for vacant title
‘King’ defended bantamweight crown four times
Image: Supplied
Who will fill the big shoes of Ronald “King” Malindi, the reigning SA bantamweight ruler who succumbed to gunshot wounds two weeks ago?
Will it be Landile “Man Down” Ngxeke or Lusizi “Speed Fire” Manzana who will battle it out for the vacant title on December 16?
Malindi, from Tshakhuma outside Thohoyandou in Limpopo, defended it four times, one more than to claim the outright ownership of the crown. He was shot in Westbury and died at Helen Joseph Hospital.
Award-winning promoter Ayanda Matiti, whose Xaba Promotion will organise its fourth edition of Night of Champions on December 16, said boxing followers must come in their numbers to Orient Theatre to get the answer.
His tournament will feature five national championship fights.
“The intention is to set a benchmark here,” said Matiti. “It will be the first time for us to stage title fights since we started staging this event.”
He wants to end the year in style. “This will also be a Christmas gift to East London people who work outside the Eastern Cape province,” said Matiti. “You can’t tell [who'll win] until boxers get it on.”
He was asked for his prediction. Matiti made an example about Jermell Charlo who told the whole world that he was at the same level as Canelo Alvarez.
“But Charlo never showed up on the night of the fight [September 30]. He fought just to survive, so we don’t know which boxer will come out on December 16,” said the former professional boxer.
“Like any other boxer, Manzana has equal opportunities to win the fight. However I believe there is no bantamweight fighter here to beat Landile,”
Another one to watch carefully will be the contest for the national junior bantamweight belt that was vacated by Ngxeke.
Phumelela “The Truth” Cafu will take on promising newcomer Enathi Stelle. Cafu has already held the WBF International and WBA Intercontinental belts but he has never won an SA belt.
Cafu – the current IBF International junior bantamweight champion – is rated No 8 by the the IBF, 13th by the WBC, 14th by the WBA and 15th by the WBO.
Tickets will range between R200 (normal seat) and R500 VIP ringside seating.
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