By Ron Jackson

One of South Africa’s most exciting young fighters Roarke Knapp returns to action on Saturday 18 March at Emperors Place near Kempton Park, when he meets the experienced Frenchman Ahmed El Mousaoui in a ten round junior middleweight bout, on a Golden Gloves Promotion.

The 24-year-old Knapp (15-1-1, 11 KOs) who made his pro debut on 28 May 2016 is possibly one of South Africa’s most exciting young fighters, who is never in a dull fight, as he likes to rumble.

On 19 December 2020 he captured his first title when he stopped Simon Dladla in under two minutes of the first round to claim the vacant IBO Youth junior middleweight title and in December 2021, he came back from three knockdowns before the rugged Cristiano Ndombassey retired in the fifth round, in a clash for the vacant WBA Pan African middleweight title.

His only loss came against Brendon Thysse in November 2019 who knocked him out in the seventh round in a toe-to-toe war.

However, in a return bout for the vacant African Boxing Union junior middleweight title he beat Thysse on a 12 round split decision.

In his most recent fight in December last year, he outpointed the experienced Dante Jardon over ten rounds.

The 32-year-old Mousaoui (34-4-1, 8 KOs) made his pro debut in February 2009 and has captured the French and European Boxing Union welterweight titles.

His four losses have all been on points against Dieudonne Belinga, Jeff Horn, Ceferino Rodriguez and in his most recent against Davit Papot he lost on a split decision in a bout for the IBA junior middleweight title.

It is the cards that he Mousaoui will extend the younger Knapp who should win over the long route.

UNDERCARD

South African welterweight champion Shervantagh Koopman 10-0; 7 makes the first defense of his title against Jackson Kaptein 6-1-1; 4 from the Free State.

In an interesting matchup scheduled for eight rounds junior bantamweight Ricardo Malajika 10-2; 8 meets Filipino Adrian Lerasan 12-4; 5 who fights from the southpaw stance.