Title fight bonanza for fans

A BOXING feast awaits East London fans in the Eastern Cape as two South African titles will be contested in 48 hours this coming weekend.

The action begins on Friday with a national bantamweight title fight between current champion Phumzile “Sweet Chocolate” Matyhila and Toto Helebe at the Orient Theatre.

Two days later SA junior welterweight champion Mzolisi Yoyo clashes with Thembelani Chithani at the same East London venue.

The 36-year-old Matyhila will be making his third defence of the belt he won after outpointing Nkqubela Gwazela on August 1 2010, while Yoyo will be defending his title for the second time since dethroning Sikhulule Sidzumo.

Matyhila ’ s trainer Nick Durandt says his boxer will make his fans proud against the Cape Town challenger.

“He should be a very good puncher as he stopped (Lusanda) Komanisi. But we are not overly concerned about Helebe because Matyhila is going to take very good care of him like he has done with other boxers in the past,” said Durandt.

Meanwhile, Yoyo’s clash with Chithani has the potential to divide Duncan Village and Mdantsane as the two boxers hail from the two boxing-mad, neighbouring townships.

Yoyo, from Mdantsane, put up an impressive performance on his way to registering a fourth-round stoppage of Mzukisi Mgidi in his first defence of the title at the Orient Theatre last month.

But the same cannot be said of Chithani, who struggled before stopping an out of sorts Masande Kakaza in the ninth round at the Walter Sisulu University Butterworth campus on May 19.

Chithani and Kakaza were fighting for the then vacant Eastern Cape junior welterweight title.