Exiled Deejay Kriel wins IBF world boxing belt
Magagane goes the full rounds to win WBA belt
Fight fans were taken back to 2010 on Friday night when Warren Greenway staged what was the last tournament at the Carousel in Hammanskraal outside Pretoria.
In that tournament, Anton Nel stopped Peter Cronje in an SA heavyweight title eliminator over 10 rounds.
Once the hub of South African boxing, it was home to Golden Gloves development tournaments.
Super bouts by Rodney Berman always took place in a marquee outside the casino’s parking area where unfancied Vuyani “The Beast” Bungu upset the bookies by ending the reign on feared American Kennedy McKinney as the IBF junior featherweight champion in August 1994. That win was sweet music to the ears of Berman and trainer Mzimasi Mnguni because McKinney had won that belt from their charge, Welcome Ncita, in the USA in April 1994.
Fox Sports Africa took action back to the Carousel on Friday night and their six bouts included two vacant WBA Pan African titles. The event attracted a big crowd, which ignored the unfriendly weather. It had been raining nonstop the whole week.
Pieter de Klerk was the first boxer to register a win in the first bout when he poleaxed Cecil Maluleka in the first round.
Local twinkling star Anthony Moloisane emerged victorious on points over eight rounds against Kutlwano Ogaketse from Botswana. Sibusiso Zingange was crowned new WBA Pan African junior lightweight champion after defeating stubborn Namibian Natanael
Sebastian by a split points decision after closely contested 12 rounds.
The big honour of headlining a tournament pushed Jeff “911” Magagane to finish 12 rounds – his first in 14 fights – even when he looked to have
ran out of gas in the last five rounds against battle-marked warrior Tello “Razor” Dithebe. Magagane won the WBA Pan African featherweight belt. International Hall of Fame Inductee Stan Christodoulou scored it 117-111
‘‘ The exciting tournament attracted a big crowd, which ignored the unfriendly weather
for Razor, while veteran judge Wally Snowball scored it 115113 for Magagane and BSA’s Female Ring Official of the Year 2017, Pumeza Zinakile, also voted Magagane the winner by 116-112. The Alan Toweel Junior-trained boxer won by a split decision. However, there were differing opinions about the verdict. Some respected boxing fundis said Dithebe won. This actually makes the noble art of boxing interesting given the differing opinions by the fans. Surely, a rematch will settle the score, some felt. Magagane improved his record to 11 wins while Dithebe suffered his 11th defeat in 31 fights.
Other results: Heavyweight: Wilhelm Nebe beat Wikus Ludeke on a TKO in the first round. Featherweight 4 rounds: Rirothe Randima beat Martin Prinsloo on points.