Two cops in gruelling boxing bout

Phil Nyamane

The packed crowd at the Umlazi's Tehuis Lodge was literally sweating from the humid weather conditions and excitement from the gruelling action as police captain, Reniel Dorflin, knocked out sergeant Johannes Mtshali in the sixth of a scheduled eight rounds light-heavyweight bout on Sunday.

That Dorflin ended the bout with cuts over both his eyes bore testimony to the see-saw battle of the main bout of KwaZulu-Natal's Magic Moments and Gauteng's Platinum Gloves joint promotion.

Stocky Mtshali, a captain in KZN encouraged the home crowd, took the fight to Dorflin, a captain in Boksburg.

With both standing toe-to-toe, Mtshali's heart and determination defied Dorflin's crushing over-arm right until the sixth when Mtshali went down from a right, tried to beat the count but fell again.

Although the junior welterweight bout between hot favourite Lungisane Mhlungu and Sibusiso Mdletshe, the super middleweight match between Christopher Buthelezi and Kenyan George Adipo and the junior welter bout between Charles Khumalo and Burrie Theunissen were cancelled for various reasons, the crowd could not complain of not getting their money's worth.

Gauteng's welterweight Samuel Skosana, his lightweight namesake, Samuel Ngobeni and Kenyan junior welterweight McNicholas Kajiri fired cannons against their opponents blanks.

Skosana knocked out Mzonjani Majola in the first of a scheduled six rounds bout. Ngobeni sent Sipho Khoza to slumberland in the second of a scheduled four rounder and so did Kajiri over Sibusiso Ngcobo in a bout meant to go six rounds.

In other bouts, Trevor Gouws outpointed William Mpongi over four junior feather rounds, KZN's Phelelane Nyembe outpointed Gauteng's Hansie Grobler over four junior lightweight rounds; lightweight Michael Muiya beat Israel Zuke over four rounds, Sibongakonke Mchunu drew with Kenyan Moses Kanyua (fly, four rounds) and junior fly Phatotshedzo Nemukongwe outpointed Sipho Qonda over four junior flyweight rounds.