Many fighters from the African continent have featured on Golden Gloves tournaments over the years.
Among them were Joseph Chingangu, who was a hot cruiserweight prospect at the time, Mbwana Matumla, who won the IBO super flyweight world title under Golden Gloves, as well as current WBC cruiserweight champion Ilunga “Junior” Makabu in his earlier days.
Two hot prospects tipped as future African stars will return to Emperor’s Palace on the 22nd of October after turning in impressive performances in June.
One of them is Samuel Takyi from Ghana who, fighting as a lightweight, demolished the more experienced Mandlenkosi Sibuso inside two rounds in his pro debut. Big things are expected of Takyi who won a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympic Games. Ghana has a rich boxing history, boasting some great fighters like Azumah Nelson, Alfred Kotey, Nana Konadu and Ike Quartey. Quartey even made the trip to South Africa to be in the corner of Takyi.
The other new face in Golden Gloves tournaments is a little more unexpected. Strawweight Beaven Sibanda from Zimbabwe was devastating in demolishing Bandile Leopeng in a single round in June and promoter Rodney Berman wants him back. “You never know who the next big star might be. We always keep an eye out for talent across the continent,” says Berman.
Takyi and Sibanda will be part of a card headlined by the rubber match between cruiserweights Johnny Muller and Akani Phuzi.
