Duncan Village star Azinga Fuzile returns to the ring where he will take on Tanzanian Ibrahim Class for the IBF intercontinental Junior lightweight title at the Orient Theatre on Sunday.
Fuzile makes the return less than two months after the biggest win of his 12-fight professional career.
This was when he forced ring veteran and former two time IBF junior lightweight champion Malcolm Klassen to quit in four rounds at the same venue in October.
Rated ninth by the IBF, Fuzile is expected to brush aside Class and march on to a world title shot next year.
“We want to keep Azinga active as we plot his assault at the big stage,” said the boxer’s manager, Colin Nathan.
Class comes with some sort of pedigree, being a world champion after beating SA’s Koos Sibiya for the non-regarded Global Boxing Council world junior lightweight title November last year.
The 28-year-old is enjoying an eight-fight winning streak since suffering the last of his four losses in a rematch to German boxer Rapir Rasulov, who he had previously beaten.
Despite coming with a relatively impressive resume, Class is not expected to offer much resistance to the unbeaten 22-year-old Duncan Village star.
The undercard will see Siphamandla Baleni vying to regain his SA mini flyweight crown from Xolisa Magusha.
The bout has been mired in controversy after top rated contender Ayanda Ndulani lodged an appeal for being bypassed.
While Magusha easily dethroned Baleni in their first bout, this time the odds are stacked against him.
Since his win the left hander has been battling with the scales, losing his next two bouts against Ndulani and Deejay Kiel.
However, his trainer, Ncedo Cecane, is confident that the title will remain at legendary Eyethu Boxing Club, renowned for producing world champions such as Welcome Ncita, Vuyani Bungu, Hawk Makepula, Zolani Petelo, to mention just a few.
The club also produced a plethora of national champions, although it has since gone through a bad patch, with its owner Mzi Mnguni suffering a heart attack that left him using a wheelchair.
But since Cecane took over the training duties the club has been gradually returning to its former glory, with Magusha joined by Phila Mpontshane as national champions.
Since their first fight, Baleni has fought once, beating Loyiso Ngantweni while Magusha engaged in two bouts, swinging matters in his favour regarding activity.
Two local prospects, Luyanda Ntwanambi and Sive Nontshinga, will be gunning for youth titles in the flyweight and junior flyweight against Tanzanian foes...