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The Fox Sports Africa Boxing 7 held at the Isibaya Casino and Entertainment Complex last night was filled with drama and excitement.
The two South African boxers fighting in two World Boxing Association (WBA) Pan-African 12-round international fights made the country proud.
Two Durban-based fighters – whom we were told had not laced gloves in a competition in more than a year – as was to be expected, fought dismally and lost in embarrassing fashion.
And then veteran Tanzanian pugilist Cosmos Cheka drew unnecessary attention to himself when he stormed out of the ring screaming murder at the ringside officials while gesturing with his hands even before the formalities were completed after being knocked out by Ayanda Nkosi in the WBA Pan-African lightweight title fight.
Nkosi and Sikho Nqothole were impressive in their bouts, with the latter claiming the vacant WBA Pan-African super flyweight title via unanimous decision with the judges handing him the crown with scores of 120-107, 120-108 and 120-107.
The scores were a true reflection of the fight as the South African dominated his Tanzanian adversary Sunday Kiwale in ever round.
After struggling through the middle rounds and having difficulty in dealing with Cheka’s powerful right hand, Nkosi delivered a stunning right of his own that sent his opponent tumbling down in the 10th round of the scheduled 12.
The Durban duo of Ricardo Hiraman and Jaydene Matthew were shown up for their rustiness as, first, Hiraman suffered a third-round TKO from his Botswana opponent Tshephang Babui in an international featherweight six rounder while Matthew did all a boxer could to survive six rounds without throwing any telling punches.
His international cruiseweight bout against Limbani Lano of Malawi was the biggest yawn of the night. The judges gave it to Lano, scoring it 60-53, 60-53 and 59-54 on their respective score cards.
In the other fight on the nights, Jeff Magagane (SA) defeated Kutlwano Ogaketse (Botswana) 59-55, 59-55 and 58-55 in an exciting international super featherweight scrap that saw the two gladiators visit the canvass in different rounds. Magagane knocked down his opponent in a count of eight in the first round and Ogaketse returned the favour in the fifth round.
Overall it was an interesting night for the sport of fisticuffs.
