Newcomer Nhlanhla “Showtime” Tyirha rewrote South African boxing history when he won the SA junior flyweight title in his fourth professional bout.
The 19-year-old rookie did not even a break a sweat when he dethroned veteran Bongani Silila in the third round of the bout that formed part of Xaba Promotions and Events’ Night of the Champions tournament at Orient theatre in East London on Friday evening.
The last local boxer to win a national title in his fourth bout was Thabiso Mchunu, capturing the cruiserweight belt from war veteran Patrick Madzinga in 2008. Mchunu was 20 at the time.
But the record is held by Vic “The Benoni Bomber” Toweel who won the bantamweight strap in his third bout in 1949.
Like Tyirha and Mchunu, a 21-year-old Toweel defeated a battle-marked veteran in Jimmy Webster at Wembley Stadium in Johannesburg.
Meanwhile, Nkosinathi “Mabere” Joyi proved he is still a force to be reckoned with at 35. The former IBO and IBF mini flyweight champion stopped Mpho “Turbo” Seforo in the seventh round to claim the vacant WBO Africa junior flyweight title.
Current SA junior bantamweight holder Athenkosi Dumezweni won the IBO Continental title with a fourth-round stoppage of Ulises Lara of Mexico, while Yanga Sigqibo won the WBO Inter-Continental junior bantamweight belt on points after defeating Keyvin Lara from Nicaragua.
Marios Matamba of Congo knocked Siseko Makeleni in the fourth round to win the WBO Africa junior welterweight belt.
Vasquez managed to beat the count but was in no condition to come out for the tenth round.
DLAMINI WINS SA TITLE IN 42 SECONDS
In one of the shortest title fights in the history of South African boxing, the veteran Walter Dlamini (72.30kg) smashed defending champion Wade Groth to defeat in 42 seconds of the first round.
Within seconds of the opening round Dlamini (16-6-4; 8) backed Groth (7-1; 5) up against the ropes in the neutral corner and landed a barrage of lefts and rights, jolting his head back on his shoulders as he crashed to the canvas, where referee Jaap van Nieuwenhuizen waved the fight off as the champion was badly hurt.
OTHER RESULTS: Junior-bantamweight Ricardo Malajika, W TKO 1, Tebego Makwala; Heavyweight: Keaton Gomes, W TKO 3, Warren Le Roux; Junior-middleweight: Boyd Allen, W TKO 3, Wynand Mulder.
–sowetanlive.co.za
