IBF FLYWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPION MTHALANE DEFENDS AGAINST "EL MATEM?TICO" N??EZ SATURDAY IN PANAMA
By Carlos Costa
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 31 Aug 2012
BF Flyweight World champion South Africa's Moruti Mthalane (left), the tough relentless fighter who battled Nonito Donaire and knocked out Johnriel Casimero, is in Panama to defend his 112 lbs world title crown against Panamanian Ricardo "El Matem?tico" N??ez Saturday night (Sunday morning in the Philippines) at the Roberto Dur?n Arena in Panama City, Panama.
IBF has named an All-American panel of officials: Third man Kenny Chevalier of Maryland. Judges: John Madfis of Massachusetts, Gary Merritt of Indiana and John Poturaj of New Jersey. Fight supervisor will be Daryl J. Peoples, President of the IBF.
The 29 year-old world champion Mthalane (28-2, 19KO's), a skilled pressured fighter with experience and abundant stamina will be making the 4th defense of the world title he earn by defeating world rated Mexican former champion Julio Cesar "Pingo" Miranda in 2009 in Johannesburg.
In 2008 Mthalane gave a good fight to the sensational Nonito Donaire at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, a fight attended by this Philboxing author in company of director Dong Secuya, a combat in which Mthalane never backed away from heavy artillery. Donaire opened a cut on Mthalane's eye causing the stoppage of the battle in round six.
However, after that lost Mthalane has become a more accomplished dangerous fighter, winning all his world title defenses by way of knock out.
Meanwhile, "El Matem?tico" N??ez (24-2, 20KO's) whose boxing idols are Roberto Duran and Manny Pacquiao, comes to this rough world title battle after defeating solid flyweight opposition as ex champion Carlos Tamara of Colombia and knocking out Timur Shailezov of Kyrgyzstan to capture the Inter-Continental title.
In addition, N??ez, 24, has also dominated the current interim WBA World super flyweight champion Liborio Solis of Venezuela; and last year "El Matem?tico" knocked out world rated Mexican slugger Oscar Blanquet in Cozumel, M?xico.
Both, world champion "Baby" Mthalane and challenger "El Matem?tico" N??ez are orthodox fighters with high percentage of fights won by knock out. Mthalane 64%. N??ez 77%.
Most likely this flyweight world title fight might not go the distance.
The official IBF weight-in will be tomorrow at 4pm at Fantastic Casino at El Super Centro El Dorado in La Tumba Muerto, Ricardo J. Alfaro Avenue.
The second weight-in (IBF rule) will be on fight day (Sept 1) at 8am at the Roberto Duran Arena.
The Mthalane vs N??ez "Desafio Final" is promoted by Promociones y Eventos del Istmo and will be televised life in Panama by Sports channel TV Max.
Ringside VIP tickets cost USD 250 US dollars. Other prices: $125, $60, $25. Tickets can be purchased at Farmacias Metro in Panama City.
The result of the Mthalane-N??ez is important to Filipino boxing fans the winner might face a Filipino challenger next as six (6) Filipino boxers are IBF world rated contenders in this flyweight (112 lbs, 50.77 kilos) division:
Froilan "The Sniper" Saludar #3; Rocky Fuentes #9; Milan "El Met?dico" Melindo #10; Richie Mepranum #11; Rodel Mayol #13; and Glenn Donaire #14.
Photo (L-R): Nunez, Duran and Mthalane during Thursday's presscon in Panama.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Carlos Costa.
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