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The Mistico Equestrian Center in
Paarl, South Africa, about sixty
kilometres from Cape Town, set
the scene for two World Boxing
Federation (WBF) championship
fights on Friday night, June 29,
promoted by Kalakoda Promotions
and televised live by Kwesé
Sports.
Billed as “Seek & Destroy”, the
evenings main event had
heavyweight-punchers Knife
Didier and Vladyslav Sirenko,
from D.R. Congo and Ukraine
respectively but both fighting
out of South Africa, square off
for the vacant WBF International
Heavyweight title.
Seek and destroy is exactly what
23-year-old former
amateur-standout Sirenko did,
taking his record to 8-0 (7) in
devastating fashion by
completely obliterating the
normally teak-tough Didier only
57 seconds into the first round.
Having gone ten tough rounds
with WBF All Africa champion
Elvis Moyo last time out, no-one
imagined Didier, now 6-4 (5),
getting dispatched this quickly,
and Sirenko very much looks like
the real deal. All his stoppages
have come in the very first
round!
The co-featured attraction saw
WBF All Africa Welterweight
Champion Antonio Mayala barely
retain his title with a
three-way split draw against the
very capable, and unbeaten,
Benoit “Super Rico” Makangila
Vela from D.R. Congo.
It was a very close fight
overall, with the slicker
Makangila Vela taking control of
the first half of the fight, and
Mayala coming on strong to even
things out in the second half.
In all fairness an argument
could be made for both men,
which the scores reflected
accurately.
Judge Eddie Marshal scored the
fight 96-94 for the defending
champion, while Judge Elroy
Marshall disagreed with his
father and saw it the other way
around, 96-94 for Makangila
Vela. Judge Darryl Ribbink had
it all even at 95-95.
Born in Angola but based in Cape
Town, Mayala´s record now stand
at 9-3-1 (6). Makangila Vela,
fighting outside his home-town
of Kinshasa for the first time,
goes to 14-0-2 (7) and could
have a very bright future if
given the right opportunities.
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