A highly anticipated clash between SA junior bantamweight champion Moyisi Booi and his predecessor Lwando Mgabi turned into a one-sided butt-whipping before Mgabi was rescued in the fourth round at Orient Theatre on Friday evening.
Booi administered a brutal beating on Mgabi, who had forfeited the belt on the scales in June, leaving Booi to contest and win it with an eighth-round stoppage of Ntuthuko Magcaba in September.
Preceded by bold predictions with Mgabi vowing to regain his belt, the bout never lived up to expectations bar the first round when Mgabi appeared to be in control and even gesticulated to the crowd at the end of the round that he was on his way to taking back his title.
But Booi turned on the heat in subsequent rounds, landing at will until he floored Mgabi in the fourth round.
On bout resumption, he floored Mgabi again, with the vanquished boxer appearing to briefly lose his senses as the fight was waved over.
Thinumzi Gqola’s ascent to the SA miniflyweight title reign in August unleashed discontent in the Mthokozisi Ngxaka camp, leading to an ordered rematch.
But there was no controversy in the Boxing SA-ordered rematch when Gqola repeated the victory in front of his partisan followers.
His win was confirmed by all three judges, who scored the bout 117-111, 117-112 and a lopsided 119-109.
Gqola won the bout through lateral movement, often leaving the plodding Ngxaka in his tracks with quick combos.
Ngxaka wanted to land single shots but struggled to corner his fleet-footed foe.
The flashy Gqola from Duncan Village was loudly cheered every time he threw a punch, even those that did not land.
But there was no doubt that he was the deserving winner, especially when he swept the championship rounds.
Daily Dispatch
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