There were mixed opinions on whether Duncan Village rising star Siyabulela Hem had deserved the unanimous decision win he was handed in his WBO youth junior-featherweight title clash against John Zile of Ghana at the Abbotsford Christian Centre in East London on Friday.
Some felt scores of 97-92 and 96-93 twice were generous to the local hero after he had been on the back foot for much of the fight, only retaliating in spurts amid relentless pressure from the Ghanaian.
Hem, in his first international bout after his SA title breakthrough, allowed Zile to bum-rush him as the visitor flailed furiously while Hem covered up for most of the bout.
Despite possessing a reach advantage, Hem opted to fight at close quarters, giving Zile opportunities to throw a flurry of punches, though most hit the guards.
When he decided to open up, Hem was able to wobble his foe, but his haste to cover his face robbed him of an opportunity to go in for the kill when he had his opponent hurt.
At one stage he had Zile reeling, but hesitated to go for the jugular until implored by the crowd and his corner to follow through.
Zile came with a reputation of being a knock-out specialist, having stopped all but two of his 14 victims with a loss and two draws.
But, as is the case with many West African boxers, he lacked finesse, with his boxing based more on raw prowess rather than technique.
He flailed with both hands, mostly throwing wild punches that never really made a dent in Hem’s high guard.
When Hem fired back, the end seemed inevitable until the local hero opted to take his foot off the pedal.
The win stretched Hem’s fight record to nine wins, a loss and a draw, but whether it indicated his career trajectory remains to be seen.
That honour could be reserved for 20-year-old Siseko Teyisi, who easily retained his SA junior-flyweight title against Abongile Jacob.
The Mdantsane derby, pitting former national amateur champions against each other, was preceded by a raucous atmosphere with the venue erupting into a cacophony of screams from their respective fans.
As with all boxers from NU 12, Teyisi’s fans dominated the venue.
Teyisi flew out of the blocks and sent the challenger to the canvas mere seconds after the start.
The knock-down made Jacob, 32, fight scared and reluctant to launch a sustained offence. This allowed his younger foe, who enjoyed a massive reach advantage, to boss him.
Round after round, Teyisi was the aggressor while Jacob just fought in survival mode.
In his haste to get out of harm’s way, Jacob appeared to slip in the fourth round after Teyisi grazed him with a shot, but referee Lulama Mtya picked up the count, setting the challenger further behind on the scores.
With the bout degenerating into a chess match, Teyisi tried all sorts of tricks, including fighting with the jab until two rounds before the end, but Jacob suddenly enjoyed success when he stood his ground.
But it was too little, too late, as all of the judges voted for Teyisi with lopsided scores of 119-107, 117-109 and a rather generous 116-110.
Other results: Moyisi Booi KO1 Sihle Jelwana (jnr bantam); Sinovuyo Mthintelwa W6 Mawusize Philiso (fly); Nhlanhla Tyirha W6 Phumlani Maloni (min-fly); Likho Sigaba TKO5 Celimpilo Ngema (bantam); Gcobani Mdelwana KO2 Mzamo Makibeni (jnr fly).
Daily Dispatch
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