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hammer time

Bongani Magasela

Boxing enthusiasts are in for a bumper weekend.

Promoters Branco Milenkovic and Blacky Seoe will present historic fights: Milenkovic at the Carousel casino in Hammanskraal tonight and Seoe at the City Hall in Bloemfontein tomorrow.

Milenkovic, who was voted last year's top promoter, will stage a World Boxing Council (WBC) International featherweight title fight between holder Jeffrey Mathebula and Yoshinori Miyata, the first Japanese fighter to ever fight on these shores.

Mathebula, the former Olympian, will bid for a third defence. The "Mongoose" flattened Mkhuseli Kondile in two rounds and Themba Tshicila in 11 in his two defences.

The champion from Limpopo has shown flashes of brilliance since joining esteemed mentor Nick Durandt, voted the top manager of 2007.

This was evident in Mathebula's fight with Tshicila at the Orient Theatre in East London. Mathebula first outclassed the Eastern Cape fighter over 10 rounds before finally putting him to sleep in the following round.

That was Mathebula's 11th short-route win in 20 victories, against one defeat.

Durandt described Miyata, 28, as an "unknown quantity with a good record". But he promised that the Japanese fighter will be taken good care of within eight rounds.

"Jeffrey has the height and reach advantage. We will be looking for a knockout," he said.

This fight will be televised live at 10pm on Blow by Blow.

Meanwhile, Siyabonga Nyanga and Cleutus Mbhele will collide in what could be a humdinger of a six-rounder in the bantamweight division.

Tomorrow, an A-list of celebrities from Free State are expected to turn up for Seoe's first tournament - a triple championship event.

Seoe's Robs Promotion will present William "Dynamite" Gare, Mlungisi "The Shark" Dlamini and Tshifhiwa "Atomic Spider" Munyai in international title fights.

Gare gets the second chance to win the World Boxing Foundation (WBF) title when he fights Maselino Masoe from Samoa for the vacant super middleweight strap.

Gare, 32, who failed to win that organisation's junior middleweight title against Steve Roberts in 2001, bounced back to win the SA super middleweight belt.

Gare's opponent is a former World Boxing Association (WBA) middleweight champion whose 26 knockouts from 27 wins suggests the 41-year-old Samoan is a mean puncher.

Dlamini will defend the WBF lightweight belt against Jairo Moura dos Santos while Munyai and Julio David Roque Ler will fight for the vacant WBA Intercontinental bantamweight title. Santos and Ler are both from Argentina.

These fights will not enjoy television coverage, but will be free. Action will start at 6pm.

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