Mzonke "Rose of Khayelitsha" Fana has become a major curiosity to fans even at 35 but can he still win a world title?
The answer will come when he meets the victor between current IBF junior lightweight Malcolm "The Stone" Klassen and Roberto "The Ghost" Guerrero who collide at Toyota Center, Texas, on August 22.
Fana earned his right to challenge by defeating the usually durable Jasper Seroka in six rounds last weekend in a fight billed as the IBF title eliminator and presented by the Branco Sports Productions (BSP) at Nasrec Arena.
The slightly taller and light hitting Seroka, the current SA and ABU champion, was made for a trashing.
His bravery let him down and there is no reason to believe Seroka will not unravel against a banger like Sipho "Tsunami" Taliwe who is the top contender for the SA title.
Fana's famous left jab was hard at work. But it was an overarm right to the jaw in the second round that swung the fight in his favour.
That punch weakened Seroka's legs and his confidence became thin. He turned boxing into a wrestling.
The American referee Wayne Kelly did nothing.
And Fana tried unsuccessfully to extricate himself from Seroka's grip in the next three rounds.
Eventually Fana decided to chop Seroka from the outside. He pulverised him until Kelly intervened on one minute and 39 seconds.
Later in the night, Muvhuso "Hands of Thunder" Nedzanani destroyed little known Tanzanian Ramadhan Mkudi in three rounds to win the WBO Africa junior bantamweight belt.
Meanwhile Kaizer Mabuza retained the SA junior welterweight strap hammering Thulani Mkhwanazi in two rounds while Tshifhiwa Munyai blew Ghanaian Galley Codjoe away also in two.
Fana in line for world bout
Mzonke "Rose of Khayelitsha" Fana has become a major curiosity to fans even at 35 but can he still win a world title?
The answer will come when he meets the victor between current IBF junior lightweight Malcolm "The Stone" Klassen and Roberto "The Ghost" Guerrero who collide at Toyota Center, Texas, on August 22.
Fana earned his right to challenge by defeating the usually durable Jasper Seroka in six rounds last weekend in a fight billed as the IBF title eliminator and presented by the Branco Sports Productions (BSP) at Nasrec Arena.
The slightly taller and light hitting Seroka, the current SA and ABU champion, was made for a trashing.
His bravery let him down and there is no reason to believe Seroka will not unravel against a banger like Sipho "Tsunami" Taliwe who is the top contender for the SA title.
Fana's famous left jab was hard at work. But it was an overarm right to the jaw in the second round that swung the fight in his favour.
That punch weakened Seroka's legs and his confidence became thin. He turned boxing into a wrestling.
The American referee Wayne Kelly did nothing.
And Fana tried unsuccessfully to extricate himself from Seroka's grip in the next three rounds.
Eventually Fana decided to chop Seroka from the outside. He pulverised him until Kelly intervened on one minute and 39 seconds.
Later in the night, Muvhuso "Hands of Thunder" Nedzanani destroyed little known Tanzanian Ramadhan Mkudi in three rounds to win the WBO Africa junior bantamweight belt.
Meanwhile Kaizer Mabuza retained the SA junior welterweight strap hammering Thulani Mkhwanazi in two rounds while Tshifhiwa Munyai blew Ghanaian Galley Codjoe away also in two.