Southern Giant is rising

ONE of the well-known boxing tournaments in the South, the Hunter’s Fitment Southern Giant, has gone from strength to strength over the past years and is the development Mecca for boxers in the South.

The Hunter’s Fitment Southern Giant enters its 16th year of existence with the event always delivering great entertainment and fabulous fights. Over the past three years the tournament has been taking place over two days keeping the amateur tradition rich and the professional boxing the highlight of the event.

This year the amateur brigade will feature on Saturday, October 29, from 14:00 with some highlights being a team from Swellendam, the Entheos Boxing Club, participating. The club is a NGO that takes children in conflict with the law and drugs and gives them opportunities through the gym to be more in life. This philosophy is mirrored by Fight with Insight who will engage the team in 10 fights with a women’s fight also being part of the parcel. Entheos means a craving for the love of God.

Featuring on the day will be the crop of local talent including Wesley Chrystal from Booysens and Ricardo Malajika from South Hills plus boxers from all the outlying clubs from Johannesburg. Some fighters to watch are the Fight with Insight boxers who have some rising undefeated stars amongst them. The Masamba brothers are very talented and then a fighter that looks like Joe Louis namely Joel Libote is talented and has the promise of being a serious championship winning fighter maybe at the next Olympics. Reggie Magashoa fights Sacha Thesner from the Alberton club. Thesner fought the Durham fighter last year and showed huge heart. The Suburbs fighters being showcased are Ryan Messias, Shane Brummer, James Bucham and Luvo Piliso.

The Sunday at this year’s Hunter’s Southern Giant will be special as the day is opened at 10:00 with Lionel Hunter doing his pastoral duty and will hold a church service like no other when he delivers his message on ‘Being your brother’s keeper’.

At 13:00 the boxing will commence with the talented crop from Box Office including Troy De Paiva, Mandla Mpofu, Clement Kamanga, Siya Mabena and Warren le Roux. Four of the Elimin8tors who are left behind after the last event’s quarter-finals are Jeff Magagane, Ayanda Nkosi, Sbusiso Zingange and Xolani Mgidi. Magagane has opted to fight Michael Mokoena for the title but Sbusiso will still fight Zolani Mgidi. Ayanda Nkosi is now left without a fight but it will be made up to him later when he faces the winner between Mgidi and Zingange.

The Giant as always promises usual southern fair and dining experiences reminiscent of the previous Giants. Anton Gilmore, trainer/manager at the Box Office, said he is still working on who will be fighting for Aidan this year as part of the fund-raiser for his son’s charity. Gilmore said there will be big screen rugby for the Currie Cup too.