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Boxing gloves
Golden Gloves boxing promotions are promising a first, to kick-off a new year of boxing in South Africa. For the first time, two International Boxing Organisation champions from South Africa will square off in the ring.
IBO junior bantamweight champion, Ricardo Malajika will challenge Jackson Chauke for his IBO Flyweight title at Emperors Palace on the East Rand, on March the first.
Malajika, the magic man, talks a great game, and has the IBO junior bantamweight title to back it up with. Against Chauke, he won’t have to put his title on the line, but rather he will be looking to add to his collection. With six wins on the hop since 2022, Malajika wants to see how far he can go against Chauke.
“You know sometimes you have got to see how far you can swim if it’s for me poking the bear then let me poke the bear and see what happens, me that’s how the game works and if you are brave enough you poke the bear and I feel I am brave enough I want to poke the bear,” says Ricardo Malajika, IBO Junior Bantamweight Champion.
Chauke is entering his 17th year as a boxing professional and at 39-years-old, is in no mood to cede his IBO Flyweight title to Malajika.
“All boxers talk I have been in this situation before where I am fighting a younger guy, and I am the older guy and people are thinking father time is going to show so I think come the first of march I will retain my title. I am going to showcase that I am not a paper champion, everything I got in boxing I had to work hard for same applies for this fight I am working ten times harder a guy my age can never slip up,”
Also on the cards is South Africa’s Brandon Thysse against Charles Shinima of Namibia for the WBC Africa super welterweight title. Thysse had a great 2024 and have been making big sacrifices to ensure 2025 is another stellar year.
“You know it is a lot of hard work and dedication, and I think a lot of people don’t realize what boxers have to sacrifice to get where they have to be getting tv time, getting your name out there. It is all big things and you have to sacrifice a lot for that so this fight I am coming for it I have put a lot of things behind me that I couldn’t enjoy food you can’t enjoy family meetings, you can’t go to birthdays so it means a lot to me I am all in on this so I am ready for this, I really want to do this,” says Brandon Thysse, WBC Africa Super Welterweight Challenger.
The night will also include a Rising Titans four-man light heavyweight tournament. Tuvia Wewege, Bryan Thysse, Bonginkosi Nhlapo and Michael Head will all compete for the South African light heavyweight championship.
Vide0: Boxing extravaganza on the cards
