Bongani Fule’s quest to challenge for the SA featherweight title was boosted after he scored an impressive split points decision win over former champion Jeff Magagane at East London’s Guild Theatre on Sunday.
Fule forced a close fight but Magagane had success when the bout was contested from a distance with his left hand often troubling the Makhanda born boxer.
But Fule stole the last three rounds by piling pressure pinning the Gauteng boxer on the ropes and banging the body.
The shorter Fule who trains in Mdantsane continued to his aggression but often walking through fire to land his punches.
The two boxers exchanged harsh words after the fight and come close to hitting each other as they both claimed that they had won.
The closeness of the fight was reflected by the judges’ scores with 97-94, 97-95 for Fule while the third had Magagane winning by 96-95.
Magagane camp cried robbery saying such decisions were killing boxing.
Magagane’s trainer Bernie Pailman said East London officials were always biased against visiting boxers.
“I do not want to come to East London again and because we taught him a lesson yet we were denied a deserving win,” he said.
Top rated bantamweight contender Likho Sigaba jumped to the featherweight to score a points win over Sonwabile Marenene.
Sigaba who has been waiting for his shot at champion Landile Ngxeke said his body outgrew the bantamweight division forcing him to move up.
However he seemed to have left his power in the lighter weight as he never found a punch to put his foe away.
After the fight he lamented the inactivity saying he had decided to use his qualification in analytical chemistry to get a day job.
“Many of us are in this situation where inactivity is killing out careers and people like me will be forced to day a day job and that means there will be no time for boxing,” he said.
On whether he has left bantamweight for good, he said: “ I still need to sit down with my handlers and see where we should go.”
The win stretched his fight record to weight wins with four stoppages while Marenene suffered his seventh loss in 10 bouts.
In a grudge match Anthenkosi Tunzi scored a points win over Avile Nkwankwa.
Knock-out specialist Lonwabo Sizani was taken to the fourth round for the first time but his power told at the end when he knocked out Aphiwe Magobeni in their junior lightweight bout.
Sizani who came to the bout with a big reputation of knocking out his opponents in either the first or the second was wobbled badly in the first round after Magobeni caught him with a big left hand.
Going through the haze, the bell ended the round to save him from more punishment.
But he regrouped and continued to take the fight to his foe landing big blows including body bombardment which proved to the difference.
Such body blows turned the tide as Magobeni slipped to the canvas where he remained for the full count.
Other results:Sivenathi Juylu TKO2 Yongama Damoyi (mini-fly)
Daily Dispatch
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