SA boxers strike thrice at “Triple Thunder”

Triple Thunder boxing tournament at Emperors Palace was a first for boxing in South Africa, as it was the first time that three fights under the WBC banner were staged on one night.

Thunder struck thrice when the three South African boxers delivered triple knock outs:

• The WBC international flyweight title bout between Nkosinathi Joyi and Benezer Alolod from Philippines was a punching contest right from the start. Big hits were seen, with the South African the biggest puncher with a good display after his defeat to Hekkie Budler three months ago in his previous fight. Nkosinathi Joyi was definitely the better boxer and ahead after four rounds and even further ahead after eight rounds in a good fight. The biggest hit in this one-sided affair came in the beginning of the ninth round, when the South African knocked his opponent out with a beautiful punch, after two minutes forty eight seconds, to lift the title.
• Ryno Liebenberg’s thirteenth appearance in the ring, after twelve unbeaten fights, saw him winning his third championship title belt. He really lifted the bar to knock down Gabriel Ramirez from Argentina one minute 58 seconds in to the opening round. Ryno added the WBC international silver light-heavyweight title to his IBO All Africa and IBO intercontinental titles.
• In the main bout of the great “Triple Thunder” event, Ilunga Makabu stepped into the ring for his first defence of the WBC silver cruiserweight title he won in Monte Carlo. Harold Volbrecht predicted a stoppage and it did happen with a spectacular knock-out one minute and fifty nine seconds into the fifth round after the South African was ahead on points after four rounds. With this knock-out blow Makubu extended his record to fifteen victories following his single loss in his professional debut.

The undercard of the bill, out of the international arena, transpired as follows:

• The opening bout between junior-flyweights Meshack Mathebula and Thabang Ramagole over six rounds, officiated by Alberton’s Jaap Van Nieuwenhuizen, resulted in a technical knock-out in the fifth round for Thabang Ramagale.
• In the long-awaited revenge fight between Johnny Muller and Tshepang Mohale, both boxers were in good condition and dished up, initially, a close fight but from the ninth round Johnny took control and was miles ahead. So much so that the referee stopped the fight in the eleventh round and awarded a technical knock-out after 2 min 28 seconds. Therefore, Johnny took revenge for his defeat in 2011 to Mohale and lifted the SA light-heavyweight crown which was held by Mike Holt and Pierre Fourie in their heydays. According to boxing historian Ron Jackson, it was not a good fight and not in the same class as the Mile Holt and Pierre Fourie’s SA light-heavyweight championship fights.