Belts on the line at Swazi joust

It will be South Africa versus Malawi when the Fox Africa boxing tournament returns to Swaziland for the second time on November 2.

Despite the much-anticipated six-fight bill featuring pugilists from the two African countries, the main attraction will be two all-South African contests.

Mzansi’s gladiators Justice “Vend Viper” Siliga and Flo Simba will face off for the vacant World Boxing Association (WBA) Pan-African heavyweight title in a
12-round scrap, while Sikho Nqothole will put his WBA Pan-African super flyweight diadem on the line when he squares up against Sabelo Ngebiyane in another dozen-round fight.

Neither Siliga nor Simba has jumped the ropes into the square jungle in ages. The former was supposed to fight in May, but the fight was cancelled at the 11th hour. A much-anticipated bout against Durban’s wonder boy Marc Subramoney of Chatsworth scheduled for Sibaya Casino in June was also called off after the latter suffered a hand injury.

Flo Simba (right), seen here throwing a punch at Daniel Bruwer in a cruiserweight bout in 2012, was once a hot prospect. Picture: Lee Warren / Gallo Images

Siliga’s record reads six wins and a single loss in seven outings, while the more experienced Simba has chalked up 19 fights, with 14 wins and five losses.

Once touted as the brightest heavyweight star to come out of our country, Simba’s career was derailed when he was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 2014.

The former International Boxing Organisation world youth heavyweight champion made a dramatic comeback three years later when he forced Democratic Republic of Congo pugilist Big Ben Mulumba to quit in the fourth round of their fight on April 13 last year at Emperors Palace.

He has since made sparse ring appearances.

Nqothole has been a consistent feature in these tournaments and has been quite impressive. Meanwhile, Cecil Maluleke, Pieter de Klerk and Mbuso Rini will be making their professional debuts.

South African boxing fans can catch the fights on the Fox Sports Facebook channel or Cell C Black as the company does not have a television platform in the country.

The tournament will be beamed live in all the other African countries where Fox Sports has rights.