Make or break for Joubert

The event will see the return of Warren Joubert when he meets Masterd Mangaladza in an eight-round welterweight bout. Joubert, with a record of 19-5-3, hasn’t fought since losing to Keith Nkosi at the end of last year.

That loss was debatable though, given that Joubert broke his ankle after slipping in the first round and his opponent subsequently tested positive for a banned substance. “I’m excited to be back in the ring and to show I haven’t gone anywhere,” Joubert said.

“This is a must-win for Warren coming back from injury. He is getting older and needs to start working for titles, which is the plan for the new year,” chipped in his trainer, Manny Fernandes, before adding his thoughts on the bill he has put together.

“This is a tremendous bill and there are some quality fights on the card. There are some top fighters coming through the ranks.”

In one of the card’s most anticipated fights Jarred “Hollywood” Silverman and Stone van Aswegen meet in a welterweight tussle with an element of bad blood to it given that it’s been a long time coming since the latter issued a challenge.

There’s a women’s bout on the card with super-middleweight Essiane Clotilde, highly regarded by her trainer Nick Durandt, set to take on Lilian Molala. Other bouts on the night will see Stanis Kulondi make his South African debut, after two fights in his native Democratic Republic of Congo, when he meets Vusi Bilankulu in a junior-middleweight scrap over four rounds.

Super-middleweights Walter Dlamini and Hanson Baloyi will meet over six while Deon Coetzee and Jean Lutete will go over the same distance in a cruiserweight contest. Dowayne Combrink will meet Daddy Mpinga over six in a middlweight clash.