Bongani Magasela
Bongani Magasela
Hail Cassius Baloyi, the king of the junior lightweight division.
He inscribed his name in the history books of local professional boxing on Saturday night as he became the only local boxer to win six world titles in three different weight divisions.
This well-schooled boxer from Limpopo who fights out of Gauteng under esteemed mentor Nick Durandt, achieved that feat at the University Sports Complex in Mafikeng.
Baloyi is a former WBU junior featherweight and featherweight champion. In the junior lightweight division he won the IBO title twice as well as the IBF belt.
He easily won Saturday's eagerly awaited shootout with Mzonke Fana who was bidding for a second defence of the IBF junior lightweight belt. The wilting "Rose of Khayelitsha" won the title from Malcolm Klassen last April.
Fana's head had become big. He was arrogant in Bloemfontein in February when accepting his Boxer of 2007 award, mocking IBO and WBF champions.
"Bring on all those who think they are better. I'll show them who Mzonke Fana is. I am the IBF world champion, not the IBO or WBF [champ]," he said in obvious reference to Baloyi, who vacated the IBO belt after beating Gary St Clair in the IBF eliminator in November last year.
But on Saturday night Fana looked a shadow of the smart pugilist who overwhelmed Argentinian Osvaldo Alvarez with skill and power in a title defence in April.
On Saturday Sowetan gave Fana two rounds only - the sixth and 10th - while the seventh seemed a draw.
Fana's failure to read the fight turned it into a damp squib. It was expected to be a cracker.
The IBF should also summon judge Ingo Barrabas from Germany to a hearing for scoring such a one-sided fight, which Baloyi controlled with ease, a draw at 114. Alex Levin from the US scored it 117-111 while Mickey Vann from England scored it 116-112, which still did not reflect the true complexion of proceedings.
Baloyi, 33, has accomplished far more than most home-reared experts could possible have imagined.
In other results, SA bantamweight champ Simphiwe Vetyeka outpointed Nkqubela Gwazela; SA flyweight champ Moruthi Mthalane beat Joel Kunene by technical knockout in round four and Klassen beat Joel dela Cruz with a seventh-round TKO.
hail king cassius
Bongani Magasela
Bongani Magasela
Hail Cassius Baloyi, the king of the junior lightweight division.
He inscribed his name in the history books of local professional boxing on Saturday night as he became the only local boxer to win six world titles in three different weight divisions.
This well-schooled boxer from Limpopo who fights out of Gauteng under esteemed mentor Nick Durandt, achieved that feat at the University Sports Complex in Mafikeng.
Baloyi is a former WBU junior featherweight and featherweight champion. In the junior lightweight division he won the IBO title twice as well as the IBF belt.
He easily won Saturday's eagerly awaited shootout with Mzonke Fana who was bidding for a second defence of the IBF junior lightweight belt. The wilting "Rose of Khayelitsha" won the title from Malcolm Klassen last April.
Fana's head had become big. He was arrogant in Bloemfontein in February when accepting his Boxer of 2007 award, mocking IBO and WBF champions.
"Bring on all those who think they are better. I'll show them who Mzonke Fana is. I am the IBF world champion, not the IBO or WBF [champ]," he said in obvious reference to Baloyi, who vacated the IBO belt after beating Gary St Clair in the IBF eliminator in November last year.
But on Saturday night Fana looked a shadow of the smart pugilist who overwhelmed Argentinian Osvaldo Alvarez with skill and power in a title defence in April.
On Saturday Sowetan gave Fana two rounds only - the sixth and 10th - while the seventh seemed a draw.
Fana's failure to read the fight turned it into a damp squib. It was expected to be a cracker.
The IBF should also summon judge Ingo Barrabas from Germany to a hearing for scoring such a one-sided fight, which Baloyi controlled with ease, a draw at 114. Alex Levin from the US scored it 117-111 while Mickey Vann from England scored it 116-112, which still did not reflect the true complexion of proceedings.
Baloyi, 33, has accomplished far more than most home-reared experts could possible have imagined.
In other results, SA bantamweight champ Simphiwe Vetyeka outpointed Nkqubela Gwazela; SA flyweight champ Moruthi Mthalane beat Joel Kunene by technical knockout in round four and Klassen beat Joel dela Cruz with a seventh-round TKO.