By Ron Jackson

The 42-year-old Bongani “Wonderboy” Mahlangu surprised the critics when he won South African junior featherweight title on a seventh-round stoppage against the 31-year-old defending champion Ayayabonga Sonjica from the Duncan Village, at the Orient Theatre in East London on Sunday. Mahlangu became the oldest active South African fighter to win a South African title, and also claimed the IBF Continental Africa junior featherweight title.

However, in the past fighters like Jack Lalor (44), Joe Goddard (42) and Jim Holloway (43) won South African titles at what is considered an advanced age for a boxer.

The southpaw Mahlangu was in control throughout the fight against his much younger and previously unbeaten opponent. He stunned Sonjica with some stiff shots in rounds one, four and five before scoring the knockout in the seventh round.

Mahlangu improved his record to 24-9, 12 KOs, and Sonjica’s record dropped 10-1, 8 KOs.

In an outstanding career Mahlangu, as an amateur has one the SA featherweight championship and represented South Africa at the Olympic Games (2004) and Commonwealth Games (2006). He also won a silver medal at the 2005 All-Africa Games in Abuja, Nigeria.

As a professional, he has won the following titles, WBA Pan African bantamweight, WBA Intercontinental bantamweight, South African junior featherweight, WBO International junior featherweight, IBF International junior featherweight, ABU junior featherweight and now the South African and IBF Continental Africa junior featherweight titles.

Evidently, the fight between Ishmael Aryeetey against Azinga Fuzile of South Africa was canceled.