By Ron Jackson

The Golden Gloves Promotions tournament to be held at Emperors Palace in Kempton Park on Saturday night is scheduled to go ahead despite several withdrawals and setbacks due to the Covid 19 virus. This is a box-and-dine event and will be shown live on SS209 Variety Four from 7pm to 11pm.

The main event between Brandon Thysse and Roarke Knapp for the WBA Pan African junior middleweight title was cancelled when Thysse was reported to have tested positive for Covid 19 virus.

However, after hasty and clever negotiations the Golden Gloves Promotions team, brought in the Cape Town-based Christiano Ndombassy (12-5, 9 KOs) from Angola to meet Knapp (12-1-1, 10 KOs) for the vacant WBA Pan African middleweight title.

Knapp is the favorite going into this fight, but the rugged Ndombassy who is coming off a 10 rounds points loss against Lucas Ndafoluma (19-3) in July this year could extend him all the way.

KOOPMAN AND LANDO MEET FOR VACANT TITLE

In what could be an interesting matchup, the exciting recently crowned South African junior middleweight champion Shervontaigh Koopman (8-0, 6 KOs) meets the Johannesburg-based Angolan Henriques Lando (6-2, 6 KOs).

This could be an exciting slugfest while it lasts with both fighters having high percentage knockout ratios.

They will be fighting for the vacant IBF junior middleweight Continental Africa title.

OTHER BOUTS

In a six-round heavyweight contest Wilhelm Nebe (5-1; 4) of Potchefstroom will he hoping to get his career back on track after losing to Joshua Pretorius in his last fight, when he meets Juan Roux (4-0; 1) from Cape Town.

In a six round super middle weight contest Snamo Ntuli (5-4) from KwaZulu/Natal meets Eric Kapia (6-2) of Angola.

Also scheduled for six rounds middleweights Phikelani Khumalo (3-0) of KwaZulu/Natal faces Thembani Milaga (3-5) from Zimbabwe.

It was reported that the fight between Ricardo Malajika and Sabelo Ngebinyana, who were to meet for the WBA Pan African junior bantamweight title was cancelled when both tested positive at the pre-fight medical on Wednesday.