By Ron Jackson
South Africa’s unbeaten Lodumo Lamati and the vastly experienced Filipino Richie Mepranum of the Sarangani province meet in a clash for the vacant IBF Intercontinental junior-featherweight title at the Orient Theatre in East London on Sunday afternoon. The tournament will be shown live SS 10 from 14:00 to 17:00 on Sunday afternoon.
The promising 27-year-old Lamati (15-0-1, 9 KOs) from Mdantsane in the Eastern Cape who fights out of Johannesburg, Gauteng faces the toughest test of his career against the rugged Mepranum,32, who has a record of 34-7-1, 9 KOs, and has challenged for a number of world titles in his 14-year-pro career.
The South African has won the African Boxing Union, South African and IBF Intercontinental junior- featherweight titles since he made his pro debut on April 10, 2014. He has subsequently relinquished the titles.
The only blot on his record is a six round draw against Cebo Ngema on July 30, 2015 in his seventh fight.
He would go on to score impressive victories over Innocent Mantengu for the African Boxing Union junior-featherweight title, Bongani Mahlangu to claim the South African junior-featherweight crown and a points win over Luis Melendez for the IBF Intercontinental junior-featherweight title which he defended against Alex Boureima Kabore.
Mepranum has made unsuccessful world title bids against Julio Cesar Miranda (l tko 5 for vacant WBO flyweight belt), Juan Francisco Estrada (l rtd 9 for the WBO flyweight belt) and Carlos Cuadras (l rtd 8 for WBC junior-bantamweight belt).
He did win a version of a world title in November 2015 when he stopped Marjhun Tarbamo in the sixth round for the German version of the World Boxing Union junior-bantamweight belt.
He is coming off three wins in his last three fights against limited opposition but could extend the South African over 12 rounds.
On the undercard Sive Nontshinga 7-0; 7 defends his IBF International light-flyweight title against Siyabongo Siyo and southpaw Xolisa Magusha 11-4-1; 5 defends his South African minimumweight title against the No. 9 rated Siyakholwa Khuse who has a reported record of 2-0-1; 1.
The tournament is presented by Rumble Africa Promotions.