Sabelo Ngebinyana promised to pull a smash-and-grab job on WBA Pan African junior-bantamweight champion Ricardo Malajika in their rematch on December 4 at Emperors Palace where Golden Gloves will stage its last tournament of the year.
Malajika will put the belt on line for the first time since winning it last year. The champion, who is trained by Vusi Mtolo at RUB Gym in Edenvale, will face the man who tarnished his image by handing him his first defeat in March.
Malajika had been undefeated in seven fights before that bout. But Malajika bounced back more determined than ever in his next fight in September. He demolished Khayalerhu Mbedje in one round, and he is out to avenge his defeat to Ngebinyana.
But the former SA champion from Cape Town, whose career is guided in Johannesburg by Bruno Pereira, promised not to spend much time in the ring with Malajika.
“It will be smash and grab that title and then quickly out of the ring,” he said. “I want to be quicker and smarter this time compared to last time. I must prove that I don’t belong in the same ring with Ricardo.
“When I fought him I had not fought for a very long time and that affected my performance. I had him troubled in round one – dropped him but he got up. I got him in round two and he wanted to give up the fight. I was ring rusty. I should have finished him.”
Ngebinyana lost his last fight on points against Narek Abgaryan in Russia on August 7.
Pereira said their preparations have gone smoothly.
“Sabelo is looking good; he’s fit and ready to fight. I am not saying all these things just because I train him. We are just cutting weight down now. We have been pushing very hard and that will show, come December 4. You will see.”
Their 12-rounder will form part of the “No Love Lost” tournament – a box-and-dine affair that will be headlined by another rematch between WBA Pan African junior-middleweight champ Brandon Thysse and IBO Youth holder Roarke Knapp. Thysse will put his belt on the line against the man he stopped in round seven in 2019. Thysse is trained by Damien Durandt while Knapp is a member of Mtolo’s camp.
Mtolo’s other charge, Shervontaigh Koopman, will welcome Henrique Lando over 10 rounds. There will be three more bouts.
Golden Gloves fight co-ordinator Jeff Ellis said tickets sales were going smoothly. “With limited crowd allowed again in boxing – 750 – we are excited. It’s going to be a very good and exciting evening,” he said.
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