It is well and good to shout that Moruti "Baby Face" Mthalane will make the second defence of his IBF flyweight boxing belt tonight, but the real noise should be about how much he's going to earn.

At 36, the former SA and IBO champion should be preparing himself for a comfortable pension.

His stay in the game hinges on the outcome of each and every one of his fights. Today, Mthalane will put his belt on the line against Japanese boxer Masayuki Kuroda at the Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan.

The bout puts so much pressure on Mthalane to outperform himself and beat his No 4-rated foe convincingly, for he may suffer an away decision, and that could be the end of the road for him.

Will he quit if that happens?

The answer is "no" because he has not made enough money to leave the fight game after 19 years. The fact that
Mthalane works as a personal trainer paints a clearer picture. He is the best flyweight from South Africa.

Mthalane - who is trained by Colin Nathan - has 25 knockouts in 37 wins against two losses.

Kuroda, 32, has been a professional fighter since 2005 and has chalked up
30 wins in 40 fights.

His fight against Mthalane will be his second for a world title.