Beaven Sibanda and Siya Kuse promised a battle royale when they fought.
It turned out even better than that as they waged war on Friday evening amid a raucous atmosphere at Emperors Palace.
When the smoke had cleared, Kuse was adjudged a majority points winner, his fantastic work in the middle rounds sealing the deal against an equally inspired Sibanda for the WBC Silver strawweight championship.
Even Lennox Lewis, the great former undisputed heavyweight champion seated ringside, was thrilled by the all-action bout featuring fighters who weighed less than half of what he does.
Southpaw Kuse ultimately prevailed by scores of 114-114, 115-114 and an exotic 117-111, which hardly came as a shock given that when the scores were announced after the fourth and eighth rounds, as per WBC regulations, Kuse was ahead on both occasions.
Kuse’s movement was the key to victory, his dancing footwork offering all sorts of angles from which to attack. His counter-punching was on song and even when he was cut over his right eye in the fourth, it had negligible impact.
With both trying hard to assert themselves, it led to furious punching between the two. Sibanda came on strong but was met with fierce resistance from Kuse, whose claims for prominence will be pushed by Brian Mitchell at the WBC convention next week.
Realising he was behind after eight rounds, Sibanda turned up the dial from the ninth round, but Kuse met him with equal vigour, leading to high-paced punching that had the crowd roaring.
Kuse, already highly rated by the WBC, will likely continue his march to a big fight within the next 12 months, while Sibanda ought to not be disheartened. Despite the defeat, he proved himself a worth contender in just his eighth pro bout.
KNAPP BREAKS DOWN CALABQUINTO
Roarke Knapp roared back to winning form as he dismantled the challenge of Adones Cabalquinto with a vicious body attack.
Showing more patience than usual, Knapp was measured and masterful as he walked down the Filipino, whose early accuracy was undone by Knapp’s savage work to the body.
The South African hurt him several times, digging hard shots to the liver that took the fight away from the visitor who finally went down under another Knapp barrage in the third, succumbing by TKO.
MALAJIKA LEADS THE PARADE
The undercard was a mix of up and coming and established talent, the best of whom was Charlton Malajika, who captured the WBA Pan African bantamweight belt against keen Sabelo Cebekhulu.
Malajika, an eight-time SA amateur champion, was that more polished throughout and the right hand that sent Cebekhulu reeling in the fifth reflected his dominance. As his team celebrated his unanimous decision win, he was hoisted high by his brother Ricardo, the IBO super flyweight champion, ahead of a night of celebration.
In other action, Keanu Koopman dominated Bonke Duku, knocking him down heavily in the fifth before swarming him with a barrage of punches in the eighth that led to a well-timed TKO stoppage by referee Tony Nyangiwe. The vacant SA welterweight belt was on the line.
In an international middleweight bout, Lewis protégé Kestna Davis (of New Jersey via Jamaica) was largely untroubled by Pieter de Klerk, who was despatched in the fourth round.
At light heavyweight, meanwhile, Bryan Thysse and Bonginkosi Nhlapho produced an entertaining scrap with Thysse winning by split decision over six rounds.
And in the show opener, Tyla Promnick made a successful debut against Simamkele Genu, stopping her fellow southpaw in the fourth round after Genu had exhausted herself in the earlier rounds.
What made it especially memorable for Promnick were the words of encouragement from Lewis, whose presence on Friday energised the whole tournament.
