World title action returns to Emperor’s Palace on 26 June on bill featuring Lamati, Thysse and Knapp.
After months of mostly local action, international boxing returns to Emperor’s palace on June 26, headlined by Lodumo Lamati fighting for the vacant IBO junior featherweight world title, as well as junior middleweight sensations, Brandon Thysse and Roarke Knapp in separate supporting bouts.
Lamati, an undefeated 17-0-1 fighter from Mdantsane in the Eastern Cape, is up against the 12-1-1 Jose Martin Estrada Garcia from Mexico.
Garcia, a former Mexican bantamweight champion, has won on the road before, capturing the WBO Latino junior featherweight title by outpointing Luis Lebron in Panama in 2020, a year in which he managed to see action twice. He is riding a nine fight winning streak and there can be no doubt that he will be ready to grab this opportunity with both hands.
Lamati, a recent sign up for Golden Gloves, shook off the cobwebs after nearly two years of inactivity when he won a shut-out decision over Said Mohamed Hassan. He is a former ABU Africa, South African and IBF Inter-Continental champion but a world title has so far eluded him. This fight represents his big chance to finally make good on the promise he showed throughout his career.
Brandon “Fast Guns” Thysse is riding high right now. The dark horse in the 4@WAR junior middleweight tournament, he surprised friend and foe by stopping Roarke Knapp and then reversing a previous defeat by stopping Boyd Allen in the final.
He will be taking on Tomi Silvennoinen from Finland over ten rounds. The 9-3 with five knockouts Silvennoinen is a former WBC youth silver champion and has never been knocked out. He has fought all over Europe, having been to Germany, France, Poland and Estonia and should give us a strong indicator on where Thysse is at in his career.
Then there is the popular Roarke “Razor” Knapp, who bounced back well from his defeat to Thysse by scoring exciting stoppages of Tristan Truter and South African champion, Simon Dladla. He has made great strides under trainer Vusi Mtolo and Golden Gloves is planning to take Knapp and Thysse in separate directions.
He will face a stern test in , BENOIT MAKANGILA VELA from the DRC, in another ten rounder. Vela sporting an unbeaten 12-0-2 record, is capable of pulling off an upset. His draw with Antonio Mayala in Cape Town in June 2018 over 10 rounds raised some eyebrows. He is a very capable fighter, yet to taste defeat.
South African fans can look forward to another night of fight action on the Channel of Champions, Supersport.
