By Ron Jackson

Sibusiso Zingange from Boksburg won the South junior lightweight title on a wide unanimous 12 round points decision against defending champion Phila Mpontshane of Mdantsane who was making the fifth defense of his title, at the EFC Performance Institute in Fourways, Gauteng on Thursday night.

Judge Pumeza Zinakile scored the fight 120-107 and judges David van Niewenhuizen and Simon Mokadi had it 118-109 and 120-109.

Zingange improved his record to 17-5-2, 4 KOs, and Mpontshane’s record dropped to 15-3, 6 KOs.

In a poor fight with too much holding and pushing referee Tony Nyangiwe had a hard night’s work separating and warning both fighters throughout.

Both fighters came out fast at the opening bell throwing punches with very little in it at the end of the round, but after this the fight became a mauling affair with Zingange the stronger throughout

Mpontshane appeared to be jaded a fighter and in round three the referee deducted a point when he landed a low blow

Through rounds four to six the fight continued with mauling and pushing as Zingange scored a knockdown which looked more like a push than a punch.

In the ninth round the new champion went down again from a low blow but through rounds ten to twelve he dominated as Mpontshane finished up with a puffed-up left eye.

UNDERCARD

In a women’s fight, Simangele Hadebe won on points over ten rounds against Halimi Vanjabei of Tanzania to take the vacant ABU flyweight title.

In the opening bout of the evening, junior middleweight Darren Rossouw scored a sixth-round technical knockout win over Thembani Mahlanga.

In a closely fought featherweight encounter Sithembiso Maduna won on a six round split decision against Abdul –Aziz Kunert and junior welterweight Gift Bholo also won on an eight-round split decision against Denis Mwale