‘The Truth’ Cafu crowned new WBO champion

Boxer remains undefeated after 11 fights

Phumelela Cafu remained undefeated after 11 fights.
Phumelela Cafu remained undefeated after 11 fights.
Image: SUPPLIED

Phumelela “The Truth” Cafu is the new World Boxing Organisation (WBO) boxing champion.

The 27-year-old talented pugilist from Duncan Village near East London achieved that feat at the expense of defending junior bantamweight champion Kosei “Dream Boy” Tanaka at Ariake Arena in Tokyo today.

The challenger whose corner was manned by Colin Nathan dropped the Japanese in round five en route to scoring a razor thin split points decision after 12 hard fought rounds.

Scores from three judges were identical – 114-113 (twice) in Cafu’s favour, while one judge marked the same score but for Tanaka who failed in his bid for the first defence of the belt he won in 2017.

Cafu remained undefeated after 11 fights. The fight against vastly experienced Tanaka who had 11 knockouts in 202 ins against two losses was Cafu's first under new trainer Colin Nathan who he joined in May.

Cafu who began his career under Mzamo Mapitla becomes the fourth South African boxer in history to win the WBO belt.

This San Juan, Puerto Rico based sanctioning boxing body is one of the four most respected around the globe. Others are the World Boxing Association, World Boxing Council and the International Boxing Federation.

The first local fighter to win the WBO belt is Dingaan “The Rose of Soweto” Thobela who captured the lightweight crown from Mauricio Aceves on September 22 in the US in 1990.

Then followed Corrie “Sniper” Sanders – a 40-1 underdog, who dethroned heavyweight holder Wladimir “Dr Steeelhammer” Klitschko in round two in Germany on March 8 2003.

Sanders dropped the Ukrainian four times in that fight which The Ring Magazine named Upset of the Year.

It took SA 14 years to have another WBO champion. Zolani “Last Born” Tete’s status as the interim champ was upgraded when he was on the fight back home in Mdantsane from the United Kingdom where he won the WBO interim belt after defeating Arthur Villanueva on points on April 22 2017.

Cafu kept his shape, doing everything behind his tight defense. He spent the better part of their clean fought 1 2rounder in the middle of the ring while moving side-to-side like a matador.

Tanaka was the aggressor most of the time and he threw volumes of punches although accurate and effectives blows came from the challenger. Cafu missed several times with his left hook and that purely because he did not master the distance.

SowetanLIVE


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