High-stakes Golden Gloves showdown brings international boxing heat to Emperors Palace
Golden Gloves delivered an explosive night of international boxing at Emperors Palace, with a R2.5m purse, intense eliminators, and South Africa’s Ricardo Malajika headlining as he defended his IBO world title for the fifth time.
The gloves were on and the stakes were high as Golden Gloves, Africa’s biggest boxing promoter, delivered its electrifying international boxing showcase, Survivor – The Eliminator Round, with an R2.5m purse up for grabs.
The event took place at Emperors Palace on November 29, following pre-fight medicals and media briefings held on November 25.
At the November 25 pre-fight medicals and media briefings, participating athletes displayed confidence and determination ahead of stepping into the ring.
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Outside of the Survivor Series match-ups, South Africa’s super flyweight star Ricardo Malajika, headlined the card as he defended his IBO world title for the fifth time.
He faced a formidable challenger in Vince Paras (24-6) from the Philippines, a former IBF title contender known for his toughness and three recent knockout victories.
Ahead of the fight, Malajika stated that he was fully prepared and focused.
“We don’t look down on any opponent. We prepare the same way every time. We are both young, and our preparations went well. I couldn’t wait for the fight because I believed I was ready, and I was going to do my best to win and defend my title.”
Photo by: Masego Mashilo
In the heavyweight division, the undefeated “Gentleman” Juan Alberts (6-0-1) faced his toughest challenge yet against Belgium’s Michael Pirotton (10-1) over eight rounds.
The SA middleweight title over 12 rounds saw defending champion Phikeleleni Khumalo take on ABU champion DonJuan van Heerden, who entered the bout driven by strong form and a lifelong dream.
South African super heavyweight amateur champion Ethan Peters made his long-awaited professional debut. Peters, undefeated in 11 amateur bouts with TKO wins, brought explosive form into his first paid contest of four rounds.
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“I felt good and was grateful to Golden Gloves for the opportunity. This was one of the best fights of my career, as it was my debut. I expected a win because I knew I was good enough,” Peters said.
In a 10-round semifinal showdown, Shervantaigh Koopman (15-1) and Brandon Thysse (18-4-1) met in their highly anticipated rematch.
Koopman entered with momentum after a previous TKO win over Thysse, but Thysse, the reigning South African champion, was described as having undergone a “much-improved” transformation.
Photo by: Masego Mashilo
In the second semifinal, former African Boxing Union champion Roarke Knapp (18-3-1) went toe-to-toe with Botswana’s unbeaten Kagiso Bogwasi (7-0) over 10 rounds.
For Knapp, the bout carried significant risk as he wanted to bounce back from a knockout loss earlier this year.
Bogwasi, meanwhile, had earned a reputation as a “giant killer” following his stoppage of Boyd Allen to claim the IBO All-Africa title.
