An enthralling bout has been added to the mix for the Super Four tournament undercard at Emperors Palace on October 21.
Alfonso Tissen has been matched with Barend van Rooyen for the vacant SA middleweight belt. It’s a lucky break for Tissen, who was preparing for a rematch with Lee Dyer, only for the SA super-middleweight champion to cry off with injury.
Tissen loves a good scrap and is likely to find a willing accomplice in Van Rooyen who, despite his age (39), is enjoying a solid second wind. After retiring in 2003, he sat out for 12 years and then returned to the pro game in 2015 for a second run.
He promptly earned a shot at the SA title, losing on points to Christopher Buthelezi, but also put together some good wins that moved him to number two in the national rankings.
Golden Gloves has also stacked the undercard of next month’s “Emperors Explosion” show headlined by Kevin Lerena.
Unbeaten cruiserweight prospects Chris Thompson and Rowan Campbell will feature, against Antonello Maree and Benjamin Nhlabetse respectively.
