Edenvale boxers fight for dominance at Emperors
Malajika controlled the fight from the outset with good footwork and constantly outthinking and outmanoeuvring his opponent.
Edenvale has a new boxing world champion.
Ricardo Malajika defeated Kevin Luis Munoz of Argentina to claim the IBO World Junior Bantamweight belt.
The 12-round bout was held at Emperors Palace’s Centre Court on September 2.
Malajika fought in the main support bout of the Palace Knights Box and Dine Tournament. He controlled the fight from the outset with good footwork and constantly outthinking and outmanoeuvring his opponent.
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While there were no spectacular fireworks during the fight the new champion, who trains under the watchful eye of Vusi Mtolo at the Brian Mitchell Boxing Academy in Edenvale, gave a masterclass in controlling the ring.
The unanimous 118-110, 117-111 and 120-108 scores are evidence of the Edenvale boxer’s dominance.
Malajika now goes to 12-2 with nine knockouts while the Argentinian drops to 16-2.
In the main bout, another of Mitchell’s boxers Roarke Knapp thrashed Poland’s Przemyslaw Zysk in a junior middleweight international contest scheduled for 10 rounds.
Knapp came out guns blazing and dominated the Polish boxer from the start.
In the fifth round, he stepped up his game when he sent Zysk to the canvas with a big right to the body.
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The Polish fighter beat the count, but the writing was on the wall as Knapp peppered him with an array of head and body blows and it looked like only the ropes were keeping Zysk up.
The referee decided to stop the fight at the 2:45 mark giving the Edenvale boxer the TKO victory.
This takes Knapp’s record to 17-1-1 with 12 knockouts while the Polish fighter goes to 18-2 with the loss to Knapp only the second of his career.
Another one of Mitchell’s fighters, Beaven Sibanda, showed his potential when he won his sixth straight fight as a professional.
Up-and-coming Sibanda, who lives in Edenvale but hails from Zimbabwe, faced Mthokozisi Ngxaka in a six-round strawweight clash.
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Sibanda was up to the task once again and went the distance with Ngxaka and finally walked off with a unanimous points decision to take Sibanda to 6-0 and Ngxaka to 4-1.
Not to be outdone, fellow Edenvale boxer Tristan Naidoo made his first appearance in the ring at the Palace of Dreams.
The former Edenvale High School learner, who is trained by Manny Fernandes, went up against debutant Justin Mostert of Boksburg.
They competed in a four-round junior lightweight contest.
Naidoo showed his skill and class by beating Mostert with a TKO in the fourth round making sure he kept the Edenvale flag flying high at the tournament.
