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Brawlers to be kept apart
Promoter Branco Milenkovic will make sure Ruben Groenewald and Daniel Bruwer are kept apart when they come face to face next week.
Milenkovic, of Branco Sports Productions, says there will be additional security at the media conference to be held at Carnival City on January 25.
His decisions follows a near brawl between the two boxers during a media conference at the same venue last month.
Bruwer and Groenewald were involved in a skirmish during the event to announce their January 29 cruiserweight fight at Carnival City, Brakpan.
The incident was sparked by an exchange of insults between the fighters. They had to be separated by their handlers.
To avoid a similar occurrence, Milenkovic says extra security personnel will be at hand during the final press briefing.
“We cannot take chances after what happened last time,” Milenkovic said. “I was not aware that the animosity between them ran so deep."
The main bout is an eagerly awaited clash between Nkosinathi Joyi and Japan’s Katsunari Takayama. Joyi, who has a record of 21-0, with 15 knockouts, will make the first defence of his IBF mini-flyweight title against the Japanese challenger, who stands at 24-4; 10.
Takayama earned the right to challenge Joyi when he stopped Tshepo Lefele in six rounds at Carnival City last September. He is expected to push Joyi all the way.
Former two-time IBF junior lightweight champion Cassius Baloyi (37-5-1; 19) meets Argenis Mendiz (17-1; 9) from the Dominican Republic in a final eliminator to challenge IBF junior lightweight champion Mzonke Fana.
Chris Van Heerden and Boitshepo Mandawe will meet in a rematch for the SA welterweight title and Philip Ndou continues his comeback against Welcome Ntshingila in another welterweight clash.
MOLEFE CHASES WBF BELT
World Boxing Federation president Howard Goldberg has announced that Matima Molefe will fight for the organisation’s vacant featherweight belt in Port Elizabeth on March 26.
The South African will take on Jackson Asiku of Uganda.
On the same bill, Lubabalo Msuthu will defend his WBF bantamweight belt against former SA and WBF junior flyweight champion Muvuhso Nedzanani.
William Gare, the WBF super-middleweight champion, will defend his belt some time in March.
Themba Joyi, who lost his SA bantamweight title last year is recovering from an as yet unidentified ailment.
Joyi was stopped in the tenth round by Unathi Gqokoma and fell ill immediately after the fight.
He was unable to walk and his speech was affected. Doctors have unable to determine the cause of the problem. However, he is walking short distances again and his speech has improved.
Ali Funeka, a former SA junior lightweight champion 32, is training to get his career back on track.
Funeka, 32, lost to Joan Guzman in a bout for the vacant IBF lightweight belt in March last year. He then failed a test for illegal substances and was suspended for nine months by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
He was also fined $35 000 (R240 000).
