The upcoming boxing match between reigning IBO flyweight champion Jackson Chauke and junior-bantamweight champion Ricardo "The Magic Man" Malajika at Emperors Palace on March 1 is filled with history.
Malajika, 28, is trying to be the first IBO two-weight division world champion. Based in Florida, US, the IBO has worked well with SA since 1998, 10 years after it was established.
South Africans have won IBO belts in 15 of the 17 weight divisions of boxing. But not even one of them tried to hold two belts in different weight classes. Chauke, 39, will bid for the first defence of the belt he won in England a year ago.
Malajika will come down to Chauke's weight division and that won't be much of a challenge because the difference between the two weight classes is two kilograms.
The junior-bantamweight is from 50,8kg to 52,16kg while the flyweight is from 48,99kg to 50,8kg. Trained by accomplished veteran, Manny Fernades, Malajika has four weeks to work towards the limit of the flyweights.
Chauke, whose career is guided by youthful trainer, Damien Durandt, has campaigned in that weight class his whole career, including when representing SA in the 2008 Beijing Olympics during his amateur boxing days. He was the last SA boxer to showcase his skills in the Olympic Games.
After turning pro, Chauke from Tembisa ruled the weight division here with an iron fist until he became the owner of the SA belt after chalking up five successful defenses of the national title.
Meanwhile, manager Brian Mitchell said Malajika won't forfeit his IBO belt in the event of losing to Chauke.
Hopefully, the IBO will select a level-headed referee who won't interfere with action but instead give the two fighters space to express themselves because beatdown is a certainty in this fight.
Malajika boldly predicted an eighth-round stoppage to send the tough Chauke to retirement.
“I will be the first one to stop him,” said Malajika during their standoff last week where he presented Chauke with a blanket “to sleep” and a dummy “to suck on and keep him quiet because he's been talking too much”.
Chauke said: “I think maybe you have been told what to say. You look like a puppet. If Brian [who stood between them] was not here, you were not going to say what you've just said.”
If verbal barbs between Chauke and Malajika are transferred into action, then fans will get value for their money.
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