Deon Potgieter BOXING
An air of eager anticipation was present as the combatants of the “Night of the Legends” boxing tournament, to be staged at Carnival City on Saturday night, came face to face on Tuesday afternoon at the pre-fight medical. Although the main event between “Baby” Jake Matlala and Hawk Makepula has captivated fans, as few other bouts ever have, each fight on the bill could headline its own tournament.
The first fight of the evening features the ever-popular “Rose of Soweto”, Dingaan Thobela. He takes on the tough and tenacious Soon Botes for the national super middleweight title. The reality of this fight is that if Thobela, the former two- time lightweight world champion, is to have any future in the sport, he has to win it.
The Rose is his ever- confident self, but he also carries with him a sincerity he has lacked in his past few outings. “I want to prove once and for all that a fighter can successfully move up in weight and win a title,” says Thobela. “Come Saturday night I will be the new national champion and then we can look at another world title.”
“Thobela is finished,” says Willie Lock, Botes’s trainer. “He used to be a good lightweight but has just deteriorated and deteriorated over the years. At the end of the fight, Botes will still be champion.” Botes doesn’t have the boxing skill and hand-speed of Thobela, but makes up for it with his power and tenacity. The fight could easily turn into a brawl, which may favour the champion. Either way, this bout won’t go the distance.
Sebastian Rothman’s first defence of his World Boxing Union (WBU) cruiserweight world title, could also develop into a war of attrition. The gutsy Pretorian is known for giving his all in the ring and, by the looks of his opponent, he may have to. He faces the big-hitting Damon Reed, who has scored 22 knockouts in 29 wins with only three defeats. Two of those defeats were in the heavyweight division, one against former World Boxing Organisation (WBO) heavyweight world champion Herbie Hide, and the other against Brian Nielsen. “I won’t underestimate Rothman,” says the smooth- talking American, “but given his lack of experience, I doubt whether he’ll be able to show me anything I haven’t seen before.”
Rothman, who has only 12 fights to his credit, believes he has what it takes to beat his challenger. “I’ve faced fighters with more experience than me before, it’s not a problem,” says the champion. “I’m mentally and physically prepared for this fight and aim to keep my title.”
Rothman speaks with conviction and, going by the look in his eye, he’s taking this very seriously. Both fighters are in supreme condition, so this one will be a bruising affair, but Rothman, who has a slight height and reach advantage, should prove victorious.
Corrie Sanders, the WBU world heavyweight champion, faces one of his toughest opponents to date in possibly the most important fight of his career. Sanders has been shortlisted to meet Lennox Lewis later this year, if Lewis beats Michael Grant on April 29. The man who could mess things up for him is the very formidable Al “Ice” Cole. Cole, who held the International Boxing Federation cruiserweight world title for five years before relinquishing it and moving up to the heavyweight division, seeks to claim Sanders’s place against Lewis.
“A fight between me and Lewis would make a much more attractive proposition,” says Cole. “I’m better known in the [United States] than Corrie is. It would attract more interest.”
Sanders, on the other hand, knows he has to win to stay in the running. “I’ve got to win. There’s nothing else to it. I’ve just got to win.”
A worrying factor is that other than sparring with Rothman, Sanders has had no other big men in the ring with him in preparation for this bout. However, he is undoubtedly in good condition, proof of which is that he is coming into the fight 5kg lighter than he usually does. Asked whether he thinks the fight will go the distance, Cole’s trainer, Eddie Mustafa Mohammad (himself a former World Boxing Association light heavyweight world champion), said: “That depends on Corrie. If he comes out swinging, Al will put him down.”
Sanders should have too much speed and power for the charismatic Cole, but this bout is sure to have more fireworks than any other of the recent heavyweight match-ups.
The Matlala/Makepula bout is one that has everyone guessing. The national hero Matlala – with years of experience, guts and pride – is looking to add an historical fourth world title to his legacy. The man in his way is Makepula, one of the fiercest punchers since the days of the “Silver Assassin”, Charlie Weir, looking to carve his own name in the annals of boxing history. Makepula has an uncharacteristic pre-fight aggressiveness about him. He will be facing his idol, but is filled with the belief that by the end of Saturday night he will be the new WBO junior flyweight world champion.
Matlala, too, has an uncharacteristic pre-fight edginess about him. He knows the fight won’t be easy, but he also knows this isn’t about the title. It’s about pride. It’s about who is the best. “They’re fighting for the people’s title,” says Mzi Mnguni, Makepula’s trainer/manager. “The winner will be the people’s champion.”
Mguni was behind two of the men who had beaten Matlala early on in his career and believes his man will have the beating of Matlala again. Matlala, however, is now a far wiser and experienced fighter. If he draws on all of his reserves and is able to withstand Makepula’s phenomenal punching power into the late rounds, he could swing the bout in his favour.