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Machimana stopped in one round in disgraceful mismatch

boxing17 September 2019 17:26| © SuperSport
By:Ron Jackson
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Osborne Machimana © Gallo Images

In what was a disgraceful mismatch, grossly overweight and out of condition former South African heavyweight champion Osborne 'Big Daddy' Machimana was stopped in the first round of a scheduled six-round fight by Zhan Kossoubutskiy from Kazakhstan at the Korstan Club in Moscow, Russia, on Monday night.

Machimana (23-13-2; 17), who will celebrate his 41st birthday on 29 September, weighed in at a flabby 146 kg and was in no condition to go in against the big punching 30-year-old southpaw Kossoubutskiy (11-0; 10.)

Kossoubutskiy has won all his fights inside four rounds, except for a six-round points win against Kostiantyn Doybyshchenko (3-1) in September last year, when he scored a unanimous 60-54 decision, winning every round.

Machimana was an outstanding amateur and won the South African professional heavyweight title in April 2005 with a fifth-round technical knockout win over Anton Nel.

He made six successful defences of the title before relinquishing it on January 31, 2010 and was inactive in 2012 and 2013.

Since 2015 he has only won five of his last ten fights with the last three coming inside the distance; and he was in no condition to go in against the younger and much more powerful Kossoubutskiy (104 kg).

Machimana is not listed in the August 2019 Boxing SA ratings and one must question if he was he given a licence to box in 2019.

Another question that arises, did he receive authorisation from Boxing SA in terms of the South African Boxing Act section 16 (1)?

Any boxer who wishes to fight abroad shall, either personally or through his or her agent or manager, apply in writing to Boxing SA, at least 21 days prior to his or her proposed departure from the Republic, for authorisation to do so.

If this was not complied with then Machimana’s life has been placed in danger.

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