Welterweight Carr made a noise with his fists

When WBU flyweight champion Jacob "Baby Jake" Matlala emerged from Terminal One of the Johannesburg International Airport to a small but welcoming crowd on Monday, someone else came out unobtrusively.

Few, if any, noticed All Africa junior welterweight champion Stephen Carr.

Fewer still knew of the important victory Carr scored on the undercard of Matlala's five-round destruction of Mickey Cantwell in defence of his title at Elephant and Castle in England on Saturday night.

In a sport where nice guys are supposed to come out last, southpaw Carr has made a noise with his fists. And promoter Rodney Berman can no longer ignore it.

The Roodepoort traffic officer with the looks of a film star stopped Russian Viktor Baranov on a fifth round technical knockout to post his second important victory which he hopes will improve his ranking by the World Boxing Council.

Carr's trainer/manager Chris Denicker senior says they are now after a world title. They are not interested in Baranov victim Lawrence "Super Bad" Ngobeni's national title but may consider it if the money is right.

Already promised a spot on World Boxing Union cruiserweight champion Sebastiaan Rothmann's title defence in London next month, Denicker said the fact that they had beaten Britain's previously unbeaten Daniel James (11-1) should push Carr (15-1 with 12 stoppages) into the top bracket.

"When we fought James, it was to have been for the WBC Intercontinental title," said Denicker. "Matters were changed at the last minute. We finished him in the sixth round."

He said fighting Ngobeni will not enhance Carr's career.

"Besides I don't think Branco Milenkovic (Ngobeni's promoter and Berman's rival) will agree to such a fight because it will mean the end for Ngobeni."

Berman selected Carr among a selected few fighters he intended promoting overseas while steering them to possible world title bouts. With Carr's win over Baranov, he must be convinced by now that he's got a future world champion.