| Tough challenge for Ndlovu! |
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| Written by Ron Jackson - FightNews.com | |
| Wednesday, 11 July 2007 | |
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South Africa’s Takalani Ndlovu faces the biggest test of his boxing life when he challenges Steve Molitor for the IBF junior featherweight title at the Casino Rama in Ontario, Canada on Saturday night.
Molitor 23-0; 9 who fights from the southpaw stance will be making the first defence of his belt that he won in November last year when he stopped Britain’s Michael Hunter in five rounds for the vacant title. The 27-year-old Molitor made his pro debut in May 2005 and then won the Canadian super bantamweight title with a fifth round technical knockout over Scotty Olson. He also won the vacant WBF bantamweight belt with a third round knockout over Teofilo Manzueta. In September 2002 he scored one of the best wins of career when he outpointed Nicky Booth to take the Commonwealth bantamweight title and then added another title to his list when outpointed Hugo Dianzo in April 2004 to take the vacant NABA bantamweight title. Since winning the IBF belt Molitor has been plagued by a contractual dispute with an American promoter and this delayed his Canadian promoter from putting on his title defence against Ndlovu in Ontario. Last year Molitor came to South Africa to meet Gabula Vabaza for the vacant IBF title, but the fight was cancelled at the last minute when the South African failed the pre-fight medical. Molitor who trains in Mississauga, Ontario should be in for a tough night with Ndlovu 27-3; 17. In his last fight, the South African won a split decision over Ricardo Castillo to retain his IBO junior featherweight belt that he won in November 2005 when he outpointed the tough Armando Guerro. Earlier in his career, Ndlovu lost to Joshua Khoase and also lost two close split decisions to former IBF junior featherweight champion Vuyani Bungu. Ndlovu, 29, lost these fights due to a lack of concentration and clowning, in fights that he should have won. In May 2005 Ndlovu knocked out Anthony Tshehla in the first round to win the South African featherweight title and went on to make five successful defences of his crown to win the prestigeous Old Buck belt outright. In November last year the South African decided to move down to the junior featherweight division and has looked much sharper and more focussed. South Africa’s most experienced trainer Harold Volbrect will be assisting Takalani’s father Stanley in the corner. Molitor says "I'll have to outbox him and I am a lot stronger and slicker. He has everything and the only threat, is if I don't stick to my game plan and don't fight my fight.” The winner here could be in line for lucrative bouts in a division with fighters like Rafael Marquez and Daniel Ponce De Leon. On the same card South African middleweight champion Kgotso Motau 11-0 meets Shaun Garnett 10-4-1 in a scheduled eight rounder. |
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| Last Updated ( Thursday, 12 July 2007 ) |
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