Gauteng junior-featherweight title fight thrills promoters

Larry Wainstein described Sunday afternoon 10-round boxing match between Bheki Maitse and Vusi Ngcamu for the Boxing 5 Gauteng junior-featherweight title as a great contest. It headlined the 10-bout card at Booysens Gym.

"Hell, that was a great fight. I thought Vusi did enough to edge it," Wainstein, the promoter, said.

Ngcamu, whose corner was manned by trainer Allen Toweel Junior, defeated Maitse via a split points decision.

Boxing SA provincial manager Lehlohonolo Ramagole, who was tournament supervisor, said it was a closely contested encounter and he feels Ngcamu should have won by unanimous points decision. It was voted fight of the night.

The victory was Ngcamu's fourth since 2022 while Maitse, the son of current SA junior-featherweight champ Bongani "Wonder Boy" Mahlangu – tasted defeat after four straight wins. Maitse is trained by ex-professional boxer Frans "Fighting Time" Ramabolu.

The complexity of the contest started to change in the fifth round when Ngcamu began to close the distance and put Maitse on the back foot while scoring with a check right hook from the southpaw position.

As the fight progressed, Ngcamu showed his experience and kept applying the pressure. Maitse still had his moments of good boxing from the distance but simply lacked the experience.

He did not disgrace himself and will learn a lot from yesterday's experience, which will only improve his performance.

In the post-fight interview, Ngcamu yelled: "Where is the father?" He was clearly throwing a public challenge to 44-year-old Mahlangu, who rules the same junior-featherweight division with an iron fist.

In another bout, Xolisani "Nomeva" Ndongeni blew Crispin Moliati in one round of their eight-round international bout in the lightweight division.

The former IBO champion, who knocked the journeyman from Malawi out in less than two minutes, described his win as a birthday present. Ndongeni turns 34 on Monday.

His good friend, Almighty "Creed" Moyo, who is trained by retired boxer Shannon Strydom, knocked out Siphiwe Ntombela in the sixth round in their welterweight contest. 

Meanwhile current Gauteng junior-lightweight champion Katlego "Kat" Khanyisa registered a short-route win over Romeo Makwakwa in their international bout.

The tournament was Boxing 5's second of the year. It was a soldout affair, with the crowd on the edge of their seats throughout the proceedings.

That brought smiles to the owners of this boxing consortium – Wainstein, former IBO word champ Ludumo '9mm" Lamati, Mohamed Riyaz Bhyat, and Colin "Nomakanjani" Nathan.