Deon Potgieter
Cassius “the Hitman” Baloyi wrote his name into the local boxing history books on Wednesday night at Carnival City in Brakpan when he became the first South African fighter to win three world titles in different weight divisions.
Baloyi added the International Boxing Organisation (IBO) junior-lightweight world title to his tally by stopping Tiger Ari in six rounds.
Baloyi has previously held the World Boxing Union (WBU) junior-featherweight and WBU featherweight world titles. It’s a credit to Baloyi’s talent that, even though he was not at his best, he still carried too many guns for the experienced Filipino, who had not been dropped in his previous 68 fights.
Baloyi fought a reserved fight, choosing to watch his opponent for prolonged spells. When he did fight though, flashes of his former form shone through. This is Baloyi’s third fight since being shot in a car hijacking last year.
Although he successfully defended his featherweight crown for the seventh time in the first fight, he lost a gruelling non-title fight against Phillip Ndou voted fight of the year in the second. In those two bouts, Baloyi was been below his usual standard. Admittedly the standard was higher than that of most ordinary boxers, but Baloyi is no ordinary boxer.
Mhikiza “Showtime” Myekeni put on a performance beyond his years and experience when he dethroned Colombia’s Jorge Noriego for the IBO junior flyweight world title on the BaloyiAri under-card. Taking the fight convincingly on points from a good champion, Myekeni displayed an ability which could see him develop into one of our finest fighters.
Namibia’s Harry Simon silenced critics earlier this month when he outfought Armand Krajnc in Copenhagen to win the World Boxing Organisation (WBO) middleweight title for a second time.
For the past nine months Simon has been unfairly on the receiving end of accusations of being lazy, over-rated and on the verge of disappearing from boxing. He proved everybody wrong by coming in fired up, fit and motivated against a man most thought would be too powerful and clever for him.
Krajnc, who was undefeated in 28 bouts prior to this clash was himself out-gunned and suffered a broken nose in the first round of a gruelling clash between two big hitters.
Simon, undefeated after 23 fights, won the bout by unanimous decision. Krajnc was on the verge of being stopped in round six, but managed to hang in and fight back for the following six rounds.
Simon, who also previously held the WBO junior middleweight world title, actually won the vacant WBO middleweight crown last July by out-pointing Hacine Cherife after Krajnc appeared to have relinquished the title.
It was later determined that the correct procedures in giving up the title were not followed and Krajnc was reinstated as champion which left Simon in something of a no-man’s-land, not even enjoying a rating by the WBO.
Krajnc first made a successful defence of the crown and then accepted the bout against Simon. Now Namibia’s most famous sportsman is looking for bigger fish such as Felix Trinidad.