‘BABY JAKE’ TO SHOW HE STILL HAS PUNCH
Popular fighter to defend title in bout against formidable Doc Ntsele
BOXING returns to the Mother City on Thursday at the Wynberg Military Base with an event dubbed “Battle Ready”.
Local favourite Thembani “Baby Jake” Mbangatha, who is defending his WBF Africa belt against the experienced Doctor Ntsele from the Free State, headlines the event, which includes a stacked under-card of fights with boxers from across the continent as well as two Ukrainian prospects.
Baby Jake rose to fame when he won the title in 2017 at the same venue, fighting the last three rounds literally one-handed after a shoulder dislocation early in the round.
After extensive rehab training, Mbangatha is ready to return to the ring and defend his prized-WBF title.
“I cannot wait to get in there and fight, it has been a process getting back after the injury but I’m now ready and looking forward to get in the ring against Ntsele.
“My shoulder is back to 100%,”said Mbangatha.
The fighter trains in Wynberg with his coach Steve Newton.
“We’re really excited for this fight. We’ve put in a lot of hard work and we’ll see the rewards come fight night.”
This opponent is a step up in class for Mbangatha and promises to be a competitive bout in a must-win for Mbangatha to get his career back on track following his injury lay off.
Mbangatha, who hails from the Capricorn informal settlement near Muizenberg, is a police officer by day and a true hero of his local community.
Event promoters are expecting Mbangatha’s large fan base to come out in their numbers on the night to support their local star in action.
The co-main event sees another Cape Town hero and reigning SA Light Heavyweight Champion Nic Radley compete in a non-title light heavyweight bout against Charles Misanjo of Malawi.
In September, Radley clinched the South African title in just his seventh fight in a contest that has been nominated as SA Fight of the Year. This time his title belt is not on the line, but Misanjo is an experienced journeyman and will prove no walkover.
The remainder of the bill features Angolan Tony Mayala from the Emil Brice stable who takes on Ukrainian prospect Denys Lazarev with a deep amateur background and pedigree.
Kalakoda Promotions and Kwesé Free Sport seek to position Cape Town as a boxing centre with another 10 fight nights scheduled for the year.
All events are broadcast live to 50 million homes across Africa on the Kwesé Free Sports Platform via national broadcasters across the continent in terms of sub-licence agreements.
Tickets are available online via Quicket or approved ticket agents.