By Ron Jackson

South African welterweight champion Thulani Mbenge returned to action after being out for one year, to stop Idda Pialari from Tanzania at 1:54 into the second round at The Gallery in Sandton, Johannesburg, on Thursday night.

In the opening round both fighters came out swinging wildly with Mbenge possibly doing enough to shade the round.

However, in round two Mbenge (66.65kg) settled down and using his jab he sent stinging blows to the head body of the southpaw Pialari (65.35kg) before he was backed up against the ropes and not fighting back when the referee Thabo Spampool stepped in to wave the fight off.

The fight was scheduled for ten rounds.

Mbenge, 31, improved his record to 19-1, 14 KOs, and the 28-year-old Pialari’s reported record dropped to 30-8-1, 21 KOs.

EMMENY KALOMBO WINS IBF INTERNATIONAL TITLE

In poor fight that never rose to any heights Emmeney Kalombo (69.60kg) from the DRC won on a stoppage when the 36-year-old Rayton Okwari of Kenya did not come out for the seventh round.

There was very little in it through the first five rounds with Kalombo (16-1, 15 KOs) ahead, before the grey haired 36-year-old southpaw Okwari (7-2-1, 6 KOs) sat down in his corner and did not answer the bell for the seventh round.

The fight was announced as being for the vacant IBF International junior middleweight title, but Okwari’s weight was announced as 71.75kg which is over the junior middleweight limit.

UNDERCARD

The undercard was no better than the two main fights with mediocre action.

In a junior bantamweight bout scheduled for eight rounds Sikho Nqothole stopped Salemani Bangaiza of Tanzania at 2 minutes 18 seconds of the first round.

Fighting at junior welterweight in another fight scheduled for eight rounds Gift Bholo won on a fifth-round stoppage against Hannock Phiri of Malawi. The time was 2 minute 12 seconds.

In another scheduled eight rounder which looked more like a wrestling match with both fighters pushing and wrestling throughout, Jabulani Makhense won on a fifth-round stoppage at 33 seconds into the fifth round, against Paul Kamanga, whose corner threw in the towel.

Boxing South Africa would be well advised to look at the matchmaking in the future, as this tournament only provided 19 rounds of poor-quality boxing out of a scheduled for 46 rounds.