THE Hunters Fitment Centre Southern Giant boxing tournament will take place on November 6 and 7, at the Southern Suburbs Recreation Centre.
This international ten bout event will see the Durham County amateur boxing team take on local boxers from Johannesburg and surrounds. The South’s hot prospect, Troy da Paiva, and Ricky Tshabala, from Booysens, will be competing in their first international events. Reggie Magashoa, from the Fight with Insight programme, will have his work cut out for him when he faces a stern test against a very experienced boxer but his trainer, Anton Gilmore, believes he will stand his ground.
Five Fight with Insight boxers, who have excelled in the programme this year, will have the opportunity to show their skills in the tournament. Fight with Insight is a project in Hillbrow for inner city youngsters who receive boxing training and the moral and life skills necessary to become successful in their professional and personal lives.
The action packed weekend of fighting will start on Friday, November 6, with a bout between Clement Kamanga and Jeff Saunders. Kamanga has fought his way to take on the unbeaten Saunders, who is sponsored by SkyTV, in England. In Saunders’ last fight he won with his first left hook punch. Sacha Thesner is also earmarked to fight one of the Durham boxers before his pro debut next year.
The undercard will see Southern boxers, Michael Mokoena and Siya Mabena, face each other once again. Two good rematches are scheduled between Leron Miles and Lewis Bukasa and Jade Karam and Fiston Kabamba. These rematches will take place over six rounds.
The main fight for the night is also a rematch between Gauteng champion Rofhiwe Maemu, from Anton Gilmore’s stable, and Bongani Siwisa.
The weekend tournament is a reunion for the Veterans Association and locals and visitors will be able to engage with and take photographs with the champions from yesteryear including Pierre Coetzer, Danny Myburgh, Lehlo Ledwaba and the current crop of champions like Paul Kamanga and Kevin Lerena.