Golden Gloves Promotions present a triple championship bill at Emperors Palace near Kempton Park on Saturday night with Simphiwe Khonco defending his IBO strawweight belt against Lito Dante and Thabiso Mchunu and Johnny Muller meeting in a clash for the vacant South African and African Boxing Union cruiserweight titles.
In the third championship bout Lee Dyer and Alfonzo Tissen meet for the vacant African Boxing Union super-middleweight title.
The tournament will be shown live on SS 9 and SS 4 on Saturday night from 8:30pm to midnight.
Khonco, who will be 31 on June 26, won the vacant IBO belt on June 11 last year with a 12-round points victory over Siyabonga Siyo and on November 20 of the same year he scored a closely fought points decision over former IBO strawweight and IBF mini-flyweight champion Nkosinathi Joyi.
Since making his pro debut on September 15 2007 Khonco 17-5; 7 has won the South African and WBA Pan African minimumweight titles and the IBO Intercontinental mini-flyweight title before capturing the IBO strawweight belt.
He lost four fights early in his career and his fifth loss came against Hekkie Budler in the Fight of the Year on September 19, 2015 at Emperors Palace in a clash for the IBO and WBA minimumweight belts.
The 27-year-old Dante 13-7-4; 7 from the Philippines, who is rated at No 12 by the IBO, has been boxing as a pro for seven years and is coming off a good win over Jay Loto (13-0-1) in March this year.
However, prior to this he won five of his nine fights, with losses against Siyabongo Siyo (8-0), Vic Saludar (11-2), Jesse Espinas (15-2) and a four-round technical draw against Takumi Sakae (13-1).
In the fight against South Africa’s Siyo in August 2015 at the Orient Theatre in East London for the vacant WBA International minimumweight title he was well beaten on points over 12 rounds with scores of 119-111, 118-110 and 115-113.
The champion, who is technically the better boxer, must be favoured to retain his belt on points.
MCHUNU AND MULLER MEET FOR TWO VACANT TITLES
Thabiso Mchunu, 17-3, 12 from KwaZulu/Natal, who has held the South African, WBA Pan African, African Boxing Union, North American Boxing Federation and interim WBA cruiserweight titles, is an overwhelming favourite to regain the South Africa and African Boxing Union cruiserweight titles that he held previously, when he meets Johnny Muller a former South African and WBC Silver light-heavyweight champion over 12 rounds.
The rugged Muller, 26, who has a record of 20-7-2; 14 is a courageous fighter, but could possibly be stopped inside the distance by the 29-year-old southpaw Mchunu, who has fought at a higher level on world terms.
In a clash for the vacant African Boxing Union super-middleweight title South African super-middleweight champion Lee Dyer 7-3-1; 6 faces Alfonzo Tissen 10-1-1; 5, and in an International welterweight bout scheduled for eight rounds the South African welterweight champion Thulani Mbenge 10-0; 12 goes in against Jay Inson 13-0; 9 from the Philippines, who could test the South African.
In the opening bout of the evening Benjamin Nhabe and Ricky Tshabalala meet over four rounds in a super-middleweight contest.
–Ron Jackson
