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Khonco retains IBO title

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KING Simphiwe Khonco is hoisted by trainer Colin Nathan after winning the IBO minimumweight title at Emperors Palace. Picture: Leon Sadiki
KING Simphiwe Khonco is hoisted by trainer Colin Nathan after winning the IBO minimumweight title at Emperors Palace. Picture: Leon Sadiki

Simphiwe Khonco put up a spirited showing to retain his International Boxing Organisation strawweight title after beating Lito Dante from the Philippines by unanimous points decision at Emperors Palace last night.

The three judges scored the bout 118-110; 119-109 and 119-109 in favour of the champion.

The bout got off to a slow start with both pugilists slugging it out at close range.

Khonco scored well with right hooks in the first six rounds, but the visitor retaliated with body shots.

But Khonco upped his work rate by connecting efficiently to pin his man against the ropes, much to the approval of fans.

His stiff jabs unsettled Dante who slowed down in the latter part of the fight and allowed the Eastern Cape-based Khonco ample chance to connect well and score efficiently with great combinations.

In the main fight of the evening, Thabiso Mchunu scored a unanimous points win over Johnny Muller to win the SA and African Boxing Union cruiserweight crown.  

The three judges made it 120-108 in Mchunu’s favour.

He deserved to win as he caught the out-of-sorts Muller with effective uppercuts for the duration of the fight.

In another fight, Thulani Mbenge stretched his unbeaten record by defeating Filipino Jay Inson by a unanimous points decision in an eight round international welterweight bout. The judges scored the fight 79-72; 80-71 and 80-71 all in favour of Mbenge.

The bout got off to a frenetic pace with Mbenge catching Inson with good body shots that shook the visitor for the better part of the fight.

The Gauteng-based Mbenge sent his opponent down with a powerful left hook in the fourth, but the Filipino survived the mandatory eight count.

From there on, it was Mbenge all the way as he caught Inson at will with terrific combinations to dictate the pace of the fight.

The South African  fought on the inside on several occasions as his right hooks landed flush on the visitor’s body and caught Inson,much to the approval of the crowd.

However, Inson tried to answer with left hooks, but Mbenge retaliated well with good body shots to keep his man at bay.


The last two rounds saw Inson trying hard to connect with solid body shots, but Mbenge answered with powerful  hooks. 


It was Mbenge all the way in the final round as he connected with  solid shots to catch the out-of-sorts Inson with some great bombs.


Mbenge is now undefeated in 11 professional fights and is being  primed for tough fights against top international foes in future.

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