Killer blow surprises Schultz

Eighty-seven seconds - that's all it took to knock out Michael Schultz, the man who admitted to killing mining magnate Brett Kebble.

And no one saw it coming.

It was 11.30pm on Friday when, in front of hundreds of spectators at the Wembley Arena in Joburg's southern suburbs, Zimbabwean Tineyi Maridzo threw a wild right punch that connected squarely with Schultz's temple.

Schultz's supporters, including singer Steve Hofmeyr, SuperSport presenter Mark Batchelor and Scorpions investigator Pieter Jonker, watched open-mouthed as a visibly disoriented Schultz sank, trembling, to his knees.

He tried to stand up, but the fight was over.

After Maridzo was declared the winner, Schultz took his gloves off and walked out of the ring.

"Sorry bru," a man in a "Team Schultz" T-shirt called out, but Schultz didn't hear him.

It was the first defeat the 34-year-old father-of-four had suffered in his professional boxing career.

But, speaking to The Star on Sunday, Schultz said he "could not wait" for his February 26 rematch with Maridzo.

"It's personal now ... and I can't wait to set the record straight," he said.

He added that he had chosen to be philosophical about being knocked out, comparing the experience to the tumult he felt when he first admitted to his role in Kebble's killing.

"I believe that you can turn bad things into good things," said Schultz, whose focus was disturbed by an endless stream of well-wishers before the fight.