Top female talents glove up for Orient showdown

TWO major boxing tournaments wrap up the Buffalo City Metro funding this weekend for first-tier promoters when T Z Promotions and K K Promotions organise tournaments at the Orient Theatre and the Mdantsane Indoor Centre respectively.

First up is TZP with their second show of the year topped by the return of female sensation Sharoddene Fortuin with Leighandre Jegels providing support action.

Fortuin faces Uruguayan lass Gabriela Bouvier with the WBA international junior bantamweight crown up for grabs.

Fortuin last fought in a TZP show this past September when she bested tough Brazilian Simone Duarte.

Three months later she is back in action when she attempts to add Bouvier to the list of her victims with just one disputed loss.

The 22-year-old has described her activity as “what the doctor ordered” as she wants to use 2017 as her breakout year.

Jegels, who seems to have been overtaken by Fortuin, takes on Brazilian Micaela Joana in a flyweight duel.

Tonight’s show also features the tasty SA junior bantamweight title clash between defending champion Lindile Tshemese and Mthatha’s Athi Dumezweni.

The fight will pit left handed boxers against each other, with the more resilient champion tipped to prevail.

SA junior flyweight champion Luzuko Siyo returns against Cletus Mbele whose last bout was a “loss” against Dumezweni when he dislocated his shoulder in the third – rendering him a stoppage loser.

At Mdantsane Indoor, K K Promotions will organise an all-title fight show topped by the SA junior flyweight defence of Bongani Silila against Luyanda Nkwankwa.

Coincidentally Silila got his breakthrough when he came in as an underdog to topple then undefeated Siyo in nine rounds.

Having shown signs of slipping, Silila will now try to cling to the title against the safety-first orientated Nkwankwa.

The show will also see the SA female flyweight title defence by Noxolo Makhanavu against Portia Nabe of Port Elizabeth as well as a series of three provincial title bouts.

Admission for both tournaments is R80 with tonight’s one starting at 7 pm.