Makambi given a chance to regain IBO title

The winner of the 10 rounds non-title middleweight bout between southpaw Mpush Makambi and Anthony Van Niekerk at Carnival City on May 9 will face International Boxing Organisation champion Raymond Joval in Holland.

This announcement by Golden Gloves Promotions affords Makambi the chance to regain the IBO belt from the man he lost it to on points over 12 rounds last December.

The opportunity is the realisation of a dream for Van Niekerk, the South African and All Africa champion.

But first he must get past Makambi, a wily veteran with a reputation for stopping his opponents?

"No doubt about that," said Van Niekerk's manager, Ralph Haynes.

"We have 10 weeks to prepare for Makambi and have already started. Anthony knows this is the big one. Such opportunities don't come easily.

"He knows he can forget about getting another chance should he lose to Makambi."

Veteran trainer/manager Mzi Mnguni revealed they could have gone straight into the world title bout.

But they preferred waving that right in favour of facing Van Niekerk for two reasons - they are confident of winning and are using Van Niekerk to improve fight fitness.

"Van Niekerk is not standing in our way to fight Joval. We wouldn't have accepted the bout against him if we doubted ourselves. Rather than see him as a serious opponent, we are happy that he is helping us sharpen up before meeting Joval," said Mnguni.

Mnguni took over Makambi's management late last year.

This was after the man who won the IBO title with an 11th round knockout of Adrian Dodson in September 1998 faced being stripped by the world organisation for being inactive.

Makamabi, voted South Africa's 1999 "Fighter of the Year" after making three successful inside-the-distance defences against Dodson, Ensley Bingham and Steve Foster, left for Holland at the last minute to defend.

"He was not properly conditioned but extended Joval for 12 rounds. In fact had Mpush not been dropped in the ninth round, he could have won it on points," said Mnguni.

- South African junior welterweight champion Lawrence "Super Bad" Ngobeni has been made the mandatory challenger for the World Boxing Council International lightweight title held by the Eastern Cape's Thembinkosi Mtyenene.

Mario Betti, president of the WBC International committee, has given Ngobeni's promoter, Branco Milenkovic, and Mtyenene's French-born America-based promoter JC Couriges 15 days to hold "open" negotiations regarding matters such as purses.

Should the two not reach agreement, the fight could go to purse bids which Milenkovic says he is confident of winning.