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As part of the internationally
acclaimed annual Mangaung
African Cultural Festival
(MACUFE) in Bloemfontein, South
Africa, promoter Lebo Mahoko
presented a big boxing event at
the Dr. Molemela Indoor Stadium
headlined by three World Boxing
Federation (WBF) title fights.
Televised by SABC, expectations
were especially high for the
clash between 24-year-old hot
prospect Rofhiwa “War Child”
Maemu and tough campaigner Tello
“King Razor” Dithebe with the
vacant WBF Intercontinental
Featherweight title at stake.
Trained by the well-respected
Alan Toweel, and considering a
nice run of six straight
impressive victories, Maemu was
seen as a healthy favorite
beforehand, but Dithebe had
plans of his own and gave as
good as he got through twelve
even and hard-fought rounds.
And when the score-cards were
tallied, the underdog was
awarded the victory by split
decision as judges Ben Ncapai
and Thabo Spampool had him ahead
by 115-113 and 116-112,
overruling the 116-112 score in
favor of Maemu from judge
Boitumelo Madiba.
With his fourth straight
victory, the new WBF Champion is
now 15-5 (6), and could be
closing in on a world title
opportunity next year after
resurrecting his career. Maemu
loses for the first time since
July 2014 and sees his ledger
fall to 10-6-2 (7).
Nkululeko “The Bulldoog” Mhlongo
retained his WBF
Intercontinental Super
Welterweight title in a rematch
with WBF All Africa champion
Frans Ramabola, scoring a clear
twelve round unanimous decision,
having stopped Ramabola in round
ten of their original encounter
last February.
While the first fight was quite
competitive, Mhlongo, now 16-3
(12), was more in control this
time around and judges Beauty
Thuthani and Baru Tihone had him
winning 118-112, and judge Tladi
Poone scored it a 120-108, not
giving Ramabola, 7-2 (2), a
single round.
In a late addition to the WBF
championship-line-up, reigning
WBF Womens International
Bantamweight Champion Matshidiso
Mokebisi
captured the vacant
International Super Bantamweight
crown with
a unanimous decision after ten
close rounds over
the game Melissa Miller.
Judges Ben Ncapai, Thabo
Spampool and Simon Mokadi all
scored it 96-93 for
Mokebisi, who improved her
record to 6-5-1 (2),
while Miller drops to 3-5-1 (0).
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