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Becoming a world champion in
your chosen sport is quite an
accomplishment. Doing it twice
is obviously an even greater
achievement. Three times is
something only very special
athletes can do, even in boxing
where there are several
title-holders in each weight
class.
Former two-time world champion
Malcolm Klassen is going for his
third world crown on November 19
at the Monte Casino in
Johannesburg, South Africa where
he battles Mexican-American
Daniel Lomeli for the vacant
World Boxing Federation (WBF)
World Super Featherweight title
on Showpony Promotions
spectacular Urban War
event.
Klassen (24-5-2, 15 KOs) was
originally scheduled to fight
Rafael Guzman, who was sadly
murdered outside his home in
Mexico last month, but in Lomeli
(21-2, 11 KOs) Showpony boss
Damian Michael has a very
qualified replacement lined up.
Should Klassen beat Lomeli and
consequently become a three-time
champion, it will only add to
the fairytale story that is his
professional boxing career.
“Stone”, as is his ring moniker,
only managed to win three of his
first six paid fights, and lost
again in his eleventh outing.
That’s usually not the way
future three-time world
champions are build.
In 2005 Klassen won the South
African Featherweight title, a
championship he successfully
defended three times to set up a
2006 clash with IBF World Super
Featherweight Champion Gairy St.
Clair from Guyana on home soil
in Kempton Park, Gauteng.
Virtually an unknown, Klassen
fought the fight of his life and
won his first world title by
split decision.
Five months later Klassen was on
the wrong end of another close
decision when he lost a split
verdict to countryman Mzonke
Fana, surrendering the world
title in his first defense. But
four impressive stoppage
victories, including a very
unlikely one of former six-time
world champion Manuel Medina in
a title-eliminator, secured
Klassen a chance to get back
what used to be his.
Another South African, Cassius
Baloyi, had captured the IBF
world championship from Mzonke
Fana in 2008, so instead of
getting revenge against Fana,
Klassen had to settle for
“beating the man who beat the
man”. Once again the underdog,
Klassen did just that in 2009
when he stopped Baloyi in seven
rounds to regain the IBF belt.
As is well known, all good
things come to an end. But for
Klassen it came to an end a lot
sooner than he had anticipated
when he was again dethroned,
this time by American star
Robert Guerrero in Houston, USA
just four months later. Guerrero
won on points, but, still only
29 years old, Klassen proved he
just might have plenty of good
fights left in him.
After all, as former WBF World
Heavyweight Champion Evander
Holyfield has been known to say,
a setback is just another
opportunity for a comeback!
Those are words that Daniel
Lomeli can relate to. Currently
in the midst of his prime at age
twenty-five, he turned pro in
2007 and won his first sixteen
bouts before being upset by
Eduardo Escobedo in 2009. After
only one comeback victory he was
derailed again in 2010 when he
dropped a technical decision to
former WBC world champion Cesar
Soto following a clash of heads
that split open Lomeli’s right
eyelid.
But since that unfortunate night
against Soto, Lomeli has not
looked back and is on a four
fight winning streak with plans
of finally fulfilling his great
potential. Last time out he beat
WBA world title-challenger
Josafat Perez to prove his
mettle, and he will be looking
to shock the South African
boxing fans on November 19 and
turn Klassen’s dreams into a
nightmare, and the fairytale
into a horror-story.
Malcolm Klassen vs. Daniel
Lomeli is one of six WBF title
fights on the Urban War bill.
Also see:
- Funeka
vs. Marali Promisses To Be A
Thriller!
- URBAN
WAR! One Show, Six WBF Title
Fights!
- Botha
vs. Grant Tops Massive WBF
Event!
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