By Ron Jackson
All three title fights on Sunday afternoon at Emperors Palace near Kempton Park, Soth Africa, produced some exciting action with South African super-middleweight champion Rowan Campbell in the main event showing true grit to come back from a knockdown to win the vacant IBO All-Africa super-middleweight title with a ten round unanimous points decision over Alex Kabangu.
The scores were 95-94, 97-92 and a rather wide 98-91 which was not a true reflection of the fight.
Both fighters came out fast at the opening bell throwing punches with the stronger Kabangu (75.60kg) possibly shading the first two rounds.
In a grueling affair, the toe-to-toe action continued in round three before the DRC Cape Town-based Kabangu dropped Campbell (76.03kg) with a short right to the jaw against the ropes.
The gutsy Campbell beat the count and managed to hold on against the marauding Kabangu until the bell.
In round five Campbell scored with big right hands to have his best round of the fight.
Kabangu began to tire in round six and was gasping for air with his mouth open and resorted holding and pushing before referee Tony Nyangiwe warned him for holding.
The exciting action continued through rounds seven to ten with Campbell emerging as a popular winner in a great fight at the end.
Campbell improved his record to 9-0; 6 and Kabangu’s reported record dropped to 4-1-1; 1.
MAKHENSE WINS VACANT WBA PAN AFRICAN TITLE
Jabulani Makhense (63.50kg) who was only having his seventh fight as a professional showed outstanding skills in outpointing and outclassing South African and WBF Intercontinental junior-welterweight champion Xolani Mcotheli (62.30kg) to claim the vacant WBA Pan African junior-welterweight title.
With height and reach advantages Makhense was in control throughout to take a surprisingly easy victory.
Makhense improved his record to 7-0; 4 and Mcotheli’s record dropped to 17-5; 12.
MATAMBA STOPS KAMANGA TO WIN IBF AFRICA TITLE
In a closely fought encounter between two foreigners Marios Matamba (63.15kg) from Brazzaville, Congo stopped Clement Kamanga (63.15kg) of the DRC in the seventh round to win the vacant IBF Africa junior-welterweight title.
Kamanga 11-4; 5 possibly shaded the first three rounds but the superbly fit Matamba 10-0; 8 came back to score with a barrage of punches against the ropes in the seventh round before referee Deon Dwarte stepped in at 43 seconds into the round to wave the fight off.
UNDERCARD: Junior-middleweight: Tristan Truter, W tko 2, Simphiwe Ntombela; Junior-bantamweight: Ricardo Malatjila, W pts 6, Andile Cindi; Middleweight: Augustine Matata, W tko 4, Karabo Mokupi.