Edenvale’s Roarke Knapp secured a TKO victory against Botswana’s Kagiso Bagwasi when the pair faced off on November 29.

The duo squared off on the undercard of the Survivor Box and Dine Tournament bill at Emperors Palace’s centre court.

In preparation for his fight, Knapp stepped out of his comfort zone and trained for two months in England.

ALSO READ: Local boxer lands knockout win for SA title

This decision certainly paid off, as Knapp was razor sharp from the opening bell and had Bagwasi in trouble early in the fight.

By the end of the fourth round, the writing was on the wall, and the Botswana boxer’s corner threw in the towel, giving Knapp a well-deserved TKO victory in this junior middleweight eliminator semifinal fight.

Similarly, Edenvale’s IBO World junior flyweight champion Ricardo ‘Magic Man’ Malajika prevailed in his title defence against a plucky Vince Paras of the Philippines.

ALSO READ: Edenvale boxers shine at Mzansi Magic Box and Dine event

From the opening bell, the Filipino made his intentions clear and went after the champion. To the surprise of a packed Centre Court, he sent Malajika to the canvas in the first round.

While Malajika beat the count, Paras never let up on the pressure. It took the local hero a couple of rounds to find his rhythm, get back into the fight and end strongly.

The result was a unanimous points victory for Malajika, with the judges scoring the fight 117-110, 115-112, 116-111.

Knapp’s fight was one of two semifinals in the four-man “Survivor” junior middleweight series held that night, with Alberton’s Brandon Thysse beating Shervantaigh Koopman of Germiston by a unanimous points decision in the other.

Knapp and Thysse will now face off in a 2026 final for the lion’s share of a sizeable purse, R2.5-million in total, up for grabs in this series.