Ricardo Malajika retains IBO junior bantamweight title
In an all South African matchup and in an outstanding display of boxing skills Ricardo Malajika (51.94kg) retained his IBO junior bantamweight title for the second time when he stopped Yanga Sigqibo (51.75kg) in the eleventh round at Emperors Palace near Kempton Park on Friday night.
The time was I minute 9 seconds.
Both fighters came out slowly in the first round working for openings and in round two Malajika did enough to take the round with some good shots to the body.
In rounds three and four there was plenty of action as Malajika continued to score with stinging shots to the head and body with Sigqibo having some success with a straight right to the body.
This was the pattern of the fight through rounds five six and seven with the challenger battling to cope with the speed and movement of the champion.
In the sixth round a right hook to the head sent Sigqibo down for a count as he battled to survive the round against the attack of the champion.
Sigqibo came out fast in the seventh round but Malajika survived and once again took control.
The confident champion was now in complete control through rounds eight, nine and in the tenth round the challenger went down on to his knee but the referee Tony Nyangiwe ruled it as a slip.
Against the tiring Siqibo, Malajika landed a big right to the head that sent the challenger down and out on his face to be counted out by the referee Tony Nyangiwe.
Malajika, 25, improved his record 14-2; 9 and Sigqibo saw his record drop to 18-3-1; 5.
In the main supporting bout, heavyweight Chris Thompson outpointed the 39-year-old Romanian Alexandru Jur over eight rounds at bridgerweight.
UNDERCARD
Dean Promnick W tko 2 Thando Mali (Middleweight)
Kenau Koopman W 6 Lancelot Moyo (Welterweight_
Juan Alberts W ko 1 Mpendulo Ranape (Heavyweight)
Snamiso Ntuli W 8 Donjuan van Heerden (Light heavyweight)
The tournament was presented by Golden Gloves Promotions.