Konkco loses WBC title bid after brave attempt
SA fighter ahead until Thai champ downed him in eighth round
● The last time a South African boxer won a WBC title, Bill Clinton was the US president, PlayStation 2 had just been released, the Concorde was still in service and the International Space Station was about to start hosting long-term residents.
That was more than 19 years ago, and SA fans will have to wait until the next decade after Simpiwe Konkco lost his bid for the WBC strawweight title on points against Chayaphon Moonsri in Thailand on Friday afternoon.
After the fight trainer-manager Colin Nathan said he had no problem with the outcome, though he disagreed with the widest scorecard of 118-109.
Moonsri stole the momentum in the eighth round. Konkco had dominated the three-minute period until he was dropped by a right hand at the bell.
That was a three-point swing in the Thai’s favour. “At the end of the round I told him that we’re way behind.”
Konkco rallied, winning the last four rounds in the eyes of Nathan, but admitted it was too little too late. “The better man won. Moonsri is a very good champion. He’s a lot better than people give him credit for. Technically he’s very good.”
The 33-year-old titleholder’s unbeaten record improved to 54 wins, 18 of them inside the distance. Konkco, also 33, dropped to 19 victories and six defeats.
The loss was no disgrace.
Nathan said it was too early to discuss the future of Konkco, who had vacated his marginal IBO belt a few weeks earlier. “We’ll let the dust settle.
“Maybe we can look at moving him into contention for another world title.”
SA boxers have found the WBC belt the toughest to capture, with only three successes in 24 attempts to date, two by Sugar Boy Malinga in the 1990s and most recently Dingaan Thobela on September 1 2000.
Thobela lost his WBC super-middleweight belt in his first defence and he never won another fight for the rest of his career, including a tilt at the same strap the following year.
Another 10 SA fighters have tried and failed since then, including Phillip Ndou, Corrie Sanders and Mzonke Fana.
Their conquerors were among the best in the world at the time — Floyd Mayweather, Vitali Klitschko and Marco Antonio Barrera respectively.
SA has just two genuine world champions at the moment, and both will be in action in the next two months.
Zolani Tete, owner of the WBO bantamweight belt, faces a tough assignment against Joel Riel Casimero of the Philippines in Birmingham on November 30.
Tete dropped out of the World Boxing Super Series unification tournament earlier this year because of injury, though the WBC title wasn’t in the mix.
IBF flyweight king Moruti Mthalane defends against Japan’s former three-division champion Akira Yaegashi in Yokohama on December 23.
The veteran boxer, now 37, was offered a unification shot against WBC champion Charlie Edwards of England, but it was too soon after Mthalane’s most recent defence so Nathan turned it down.
The better man won. Moonsri is a very good champ Colin Nathan
Konkco’s trainer-manager