Edenvale’s Ricardo Malajika wins WBC world title
“It still feels unreal. I knew I had done enough when the final bell went but hearing that I was the new WBC World Champion was something else."
Edenvale’s Ricardo ‘Magic Man’ Malajika is the new World Boxing Council (WBC) Super Flyweight World Champion.
This comes after Malajika travelled to Japan, where he faced off against Tomoya Tsuboi in Tokyo on September 27, 2026.
The 28-year-old made history when he claimed the vacant WBC title by split decision after 12 rounds. Two judges scored the bout in his favour, while one judge scored in favour of Tsuboi.
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The victory takes Malajika’s professional record to 18 wins, including 12 knockouts, against two defeats, adding the prestigious WBC World Championship to his achievements.
It also makes Malajika the sixth South African to win the WBC’s prestigious green and gold belt, adding to his standing in the sport after six successful defences of his IBO Junior Bant
amweight World Champion title.
Malajika, who trains at Edenvale-based Brian Mitchell Boxing Academy, said the reality of becoming a world champion had still not fully sunk in, even though he knew as soon as the final bell rang that the title was his.
“It still feels unreal. I knew I had done enough when the final bell went but hearing that I was the new WBC World Champion was something else. I don’t think it has fully sunk in yet. I’m just grateful to God, my team, my family and everyone back home who believed in me,” said Malajika.
He added: “To come back home and see everyone here makes it even more special.”
Boxing South Africa (BSA) Chairperson Ayanda Zamantungwa Khumalo congratulated Malajika on his achievement, highlighting what the victory means for the country.
“Thank you for what you have done for South African boxing and for your team,” said Khumalo.
“We are truly grateful and extremely proud of what you have achieved. This is the third world title belt to come home to South Africa in such a short space of time, and that is something we should all be proud of. On behalf of Boxing South Africa, congratulations to Ricardo and his entire team on this incredible achievement.”
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Malajika’s achievement is also a reflection of the team behind him, particularly his trainer, Manny Fernandes, whose experience and guidance have been central to his journey in the sport.
Fernandes is a respected figure in South African boxing, and his role in preparing Malajika for a world-title challenge on foreign soil deserves recognition.
For Malajika’s manager Brian Mitchell, the victory was made even more special by the timing.
Exactly 40 years after winning his own world title on September 27, 1986, Mitchell was celebrating another world championship, this time from the corner of his boxer in Tokyo.
Speaking after Malajika’s victory, Mitchell said he was ecstatic to see his boxer achieve what they had worked towards.
