Golden Night for SA: Malajika Survives, Thysse Advances

The Ricardo Malajika runaway freight train almost derailed at Emperors Palace on Saturday night, but a late flurry gave him a vital win against rugged Vince Paras in defence of his IBO super flyweight championship.

The South African, known as ‘Magic Man,’ had to overcome a first-round flash knockdown and several periods of heavy pressure against a man who never stopped advancing and had a dangerous right hand, making the victory a major statement for South African boxing. This epic night of action confirmed the depth and resilience of South African boxing talent.

Malajika ‘Magic Man’ Leads South African Boxing

Paras was the aggressor throughout the contest, consistently walking Malajika down and forcing him to cover up and counter.

Malajika survived the knockdown, partly motivated by the shouts of his daughter ringside, “Go daddy! Go daddy!” his corner reported.

A recent goodwill trip to the WBC convention lifted Malajika’s spirits. Remarkably, just hours after his victory, he travelled to meet and personally present his case to several of the world’s most influential boxing authorities.

Malajika could barely rest as Paras set a furious pace and looked dangerous every time he winged punches from out wide. Fortunately, Malajika’s work rate and courage under fire proved telling in the championship rounds, allowing him to end strongly.

While one score of 117-110 was wide of the mark, the other two (115-112, 116-111) were a fairer measure of the hard-fought contest.

Thysse ‘Survives’ 10-Round War for Final Spot

In a contender for SA Fight of the Year, Brandon Thysse and Shervantaigh Koopman went to war over 10 riotous rounds in a semifinal for the “Survivor” junior middleweight series.

The judges gave Thysse the decision (94-93, 95-93, 95-92), but many observers felt the scorecards were generous because Thysse was knocked down twice and never clearly outperformed his opponent.

That close victory earned Thysse bragging rights and, importantly, avenged an earlier defeat to his local rival, Koopman, who must now rebuild after back-to-back losses. Koopman started strongly, catching Thysse in the second round with a cracking right hand that sent him sprawling, signalling a potentially long night.

Thysse was down again in the fifth, having been knocked out of his rhythm, but he subsequently came on strongly and walked Koopman down. This pressure presumably knocked Koopman off kilter, as he soon opted for a diet of holding and tying Thysse up.

The action degenerated into a spiteful scrap; consequently, when Koopman was docked a point in the ninth round, it wasn’t before time. The fight concluded with wild action, which the big Emperors Palace crowd lapped up. Given his luck at getting the nod, Thysse ought to have headed straight to the roulette table.

Big Alberts Delivers the Goods for South African Boxing

It has taken just seven fights, yet Juan “The Gentleman” Alberts has already built up a passionate following. It’s not hard to see why: his deadpan persona, intimidating size, and fighting ability make him a natural draw.

On Saturday, he varied his game to outwork Michael Pirotton of Belgium, winning a unanimous decision over eight rounds.

Fast and loose for a big man, Alberts was barely troubled, easily absorbing several hard cracks. He dished out far more, however, not least in the fourth round when the Belgian was on wobbly legs.

The fight became a mauling affair in the later rounds, which Alberts would have enjoyed. He needs the rounds, and the work Pirotton gave him will come in handy as he starts his third year as a pro in January.

Roarke Rolls On to Set Up Thysse Rematch

Roarke Knapp’s redemption continues. Although many expected the big-punching Kagiso Bagwasi of Botswana to put up a tough challenge, the popular junior middleweight showcased his dominance by decisively winning their first-round clash in the “Survivor” series.

Knapp worked the body viciously, whipping in hard shots below the belt and alternating with punches upstairs to put a halt to Bagwasi’s unbeaten run.

By the third round, the popular South African was well in control, while Bagwasi, in contrast, had lost the snap in his punches. Knapp bust him up, and after four rounds, his corner smartly withdrew Bagwasi.

Knapp will now contest the “Survivor” final against old foe Brandon Thysse.

Khumalo Blows Away Tame Van Heerden

After all the hype, the anticipated bout ended with a whimper. The Phikelelani Khumalo-DonJuan van Heerden fight had percolated for months, and the enmity between the pair was real, but when the two finally met in the ring, it flamed out after 80 seconds.

An innocuous jab beneath Van Heerden’s ribs appeared to affect him like a bullet as he went down, evidently in excruciating pain. Khumalo followed up with three loose shots, but there was no getting up for Van Heerden, who was promptly counted out.

Khumalo retained his national middleweight belt and also annexed the ABU championship.

Where Van Heerden goes from here is anyone’s guess. There had been high hopes of a rousing contest, though the moment he weighed in two kilograms over the limit, the signs of disappointment were writ large. And so it proved.

Peters Finishes the Job Quickly

There had been a fair bit of hype around the professional debut of SA amateur super heavyweight champion Ethan Peters. Now we know why. The big man needed less than two minutes to blow Sibabalwe Mnani away, his jackhammer right hand doing its job.

Mnani wasn’t especially formidable, but the way Peters went about his business demonstrated a fighter with both the shape and the sizzle to make an impact. It is early days, but Golden Gloves might have unearthed a special fighter for South African boxing.

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