SA’s youngest world champions

(Mainstream world titles only — WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO)

● Zolani Petelo: 22 years, three months and six days; IBF strawweight title

● Vic Toweel: 22 years, four months and 19 days; undisputed world bantamweight title

● Mbulelo Botile: 22 years, nine months and six days; IBF bantamweight title

● Dee-Jay Kriel: 23 years, seven months and 27 days; IBF strawweight title

● Dingaan Thobela: 23 years, 11 months and 29 days, WBO lightweight title

● If one were to include peripheral world titles, then Zolani Tete would be the youngest after winning the WBF flyweight title at 19 years, six months and 15 days

● SA’s oldest world champion is Sugarboy Malinga, who won the WBC super-middleweight title for a second time eight days after turning 42, and the marginal WBF super-middleweight title nearly six months later