Golden Gloves’s boxing stable isn’t just a collection of fighters; it’s a continental powerhouse, says veteran promoter Rodney Berman.
“It’s the best we’ve had in years,” the man whose company has been around since 1977 said yesterday.
“This isn’t just a South African story; it’s a Pan-African takeover.”
He said at the summit stands Ricardo “The Magic Man” Malajika.
The IBO junior-bantamweight champion is rated No 3 by the WBC and No 4 by the IBF.
Having blitzed the division with three championship wins last year, Malajika enters 2026 as the pound-for-pound king of the stable.
His younger brother Charlton “Baby Pain” Malajika is the heir apparent.
The IBO Youth bantamweight champion is being groomed for a crack at the vacant IBO world title, says Berman about the No 18 contender for the belt.
Berman mentioned former WBC mini flyweight holder, Siyakholwa “The Way” Kuse, who took WBC champ Melvin Jerusalem to the absolute brink in Manila last October.
Kuse lost controversially on points but showed he belongs on the world stage, and the WBC mini flyweight contender No 2 will welcome No 1 contender, Joey Canoy from the Philippines, at Emperors Palace on March 28.
They will meet in the elimination bout.
Berman also talked about IBO All Africa Simamkele Tutsheni, who will challenge for the IBO world title against Poland’s Laura Grzyb in March.
There is a domestic fight between Roarke “Razor” Knapp and Brandon “Fast Guns” Thysse which will capture the attention of fans early this year.
These junior-middleweight campaigners will battle it out for the final of Berman’s “Sole Survivor” for the lion’s share of a sizeable R1.2m purse at Emperors Palace on March 28.
Knapp stopped Botswana’s Kagiso Bagwasi in the sixth round in the first semifinal of Berman’s four-man series, while Thysse beat Shervontaigh “SK” Koopman on points.
Golden Gloves’s roster is a masterpiece of matchmaking and talent scouting.
Berman prepares for the first blockbuster of the year, “Sole Survivor”, at Emperors Palace on March 28.
The message from Berman is clear: “Africa isn’t just participating; it’s taking over.”
Sowetan
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.