Roarke Knapp, Ricardo Malajika win big in South Africa, Koopman-Thysse steals the show

Roarke Knapp and Ricardo Malajika rating large wins in South Africa.

Junior middleweight Roarke Knapp was in scintillating type Saturday evening at Emperor’s Palace in Gauteng, South Africa. He turned the primary man to cease Przemyslaw Zysk, needing 5 rounds to get the job carried out.

The primary spherical was a battle of jabs, with the taller Zysk throwing the punch to the pinnacle, whereas Knapp directed his to the physique. The home fighter quickly bought shut sufficient to land a chopping proper, adopted by a left hook to the physique.

Zysk tried to drop his personal straight proper on Knapp within the subsequent three rounds, however he was too sluggish and needed to be content material with touchdown the punch to the physique. All of the whereas, Knapp saved digging in vicious combos to the physique, ending together with his left hook on prime.

Knapp knocked Zysk again on his heels with a straight proper within the third. That prompted the Polish fighter to come back roaring again together with his personal pictures, however Knapp was faster and stronger and simply landed that a lot tougher, extra usually.

Knapp landed blistering combos to the physique within the fourth. He ended the sequence with a proper hook to the pinnacle that shook Zysk, who merely had no give up in him.

Simply when one began to wonder if Zysk could also be robust sufficient to hold on taking punishment and dangle in there, the top got here. A left hook to the physique appeared to harm him within the fifth, which prompted Knapp to go for the kill. A sequence of punches culminated in a straight proper to the pinnacle which dropped Zysk closely. He made it to his toes, however a left hook adopted by a proper put him on the ropes. He confirmed unimaginable braveness to maintain throwing again, however Knapp bounced energy shot after energy shot off his head till solely the ropes had been protecting him up. The referee mercifully intervened on the 2:45 mark.

Roarke Knapp takes his report to 17-1-1 with 12 knockouts whereas Zysk, whose solely different loss was to Sam Eggington, drops to 18-2.

Within the co-main occasion, junior bantamweight Ricardo Malajika placed on a boxing clinic, successful a 12-round resolution over Kevin Luis Munoz of Argentina. The unanimous scores of 118-110, 117-111 with a 3rd card having it a shutout at 120-108, advised the story of the battle.

Ricardo Malajika (proper) vs. Kevin Munoz (Photograph by James Gradidge)

Munoz rushed out of his nook within the opening spherical, weapons blazing. Malajika went down in what was dominated a slip and Munoz bought a warning for punching his opponent on the mat. The Argentinian nook protested, claiming a knockdown, but it surely was purely tutorial as Malajika was quickly snapping his opponent’s head again together with his jab, touchdown two straight proper palms on the button.

That was the important thing to the battle. Malajika neutralized his opponent’s jab by getting his personal going with regularity. From there he merely saved management of the gap, landed his straight proper behind the jab and picked his spots.

Munoz tried his left hook to the pinnacle within the second, however Malajika noticed it coming and blocked the punch. Within the third, he tried the left hook to the physique, however that too struggled to land. Malajika merely nailed him with a left uppercut-straight proper mixture and went again to his jab.

The one punch Munoz may discover some success with was the precise uppercut and hook to the physique, however he ate loads of jabs and straight rights for his hassle. Each time he tried to push tougher, Malajika responded with a mix to cease his momentum after which went again to boxing from a distance.

The sample repeated itself spherical after spherical till Munoz lastly had some success within the tenth, touchdown his left hook to the physique and head whereas Malajika appeared to take a breather. 

That little bit of success can be short-lived as Malajika bought busy once more together with his jab within the eleventh and boxed in cruise management till the ultimate bell.

It was a managed show of ring generalship from Ricardo Malajika, who improves to 12-2 with 9 knockouts whereas Kevin Luis Munoz drops to 16-2.

Nearly as good because the doubleheader was, albeit in numerous methods, it was the principle supporting bout that stole the present.

Shervantaigh Koopman took a step up at school when he defended his nationwide junior middleweight championship towards the extra seasoned Brandon Thysse. He handed his check when Thysse was retired by his nook at the beginning of the ninth spherical, giving him the stoppage victory, but it surely was removed from straightforward. He needed to dig deep in an all-out conflict.

Shervantaigh Koopman (left) vs. Brandon Thysse (Photograph by James Gradidge)

Koopman, often known as a sluggish starter, did the alternative and got here out of his nook shortly within the first spherical, snapping Thysse’s head again together with his jab and touchdown his straight proper behind it. Thysse quickly answered by cracking Koopman with a left hook-right uppercut mixture. Koopman responded with extra straight rights whereas Thysse dug in a left hook to the physique.

Within the second, Koopman continued touchdown his jab and appeared unable to overlook Thysse together with his straight proper. Koopman was dominating on the skin, however at any time when Thysse bought shut, he bought his digs in to the physique. Then, all of a sudden, Koopman landed a stupendous left hook as he turned Thysse round. Thysse, identified for his strong chin, went down laborious. He bought to his toes and appeared groggy when the bell got here to his rescue.

Koopman stayed on him within the third, driving him together with his jab to the ropes, the place he let rip with combos. Thysse seemed to be getting out of the fog, touchdown a very good proper hook in the direction of the top of the spherical.

Thysse began the fourth by weaving low beneath the punches. When he lastly nailed Koopman with a strong mixture that appeared to harm him, he was given some extent deduction for hitting behind the pinnacle. Taking some extent appeared harsh, seeing that there was no warning previous it. He stayed on Koopman and damage him with a sequence of rights till a day trip was referred to as for a low blow. When the motion resumed, Thysse landed one other proper on Koopman, who responded with a proper uppercut of his personal. A wobbly Koopman began combating again because the spherical ended.

Thysse went after Koopman within the fifth, however Koopman nailed him with yet one more straight proper. The pair stood their floor and exchanged heavy hooks and uppercuts that had the group in a frenzy. Koopman completed the stronger, touchdown a number of left hooks earlier than the bell rang.

Thysse dug in uppercuts to the physique within the sixth however saved getting nailed from a distance. Koopman landed one other enormous proper, adopted by a left hook on the finish of the spherical.

Koopman used his superior distance management within the seventh, jabbing and touchdown his straight proper, now to the physique as nicely. Thysse tried to carry his left hook into play, however Koopman checked him together with his proper uppercut each time he got here shut. Thysse did land a left hook-right hand mixture, however Koopman went again to boxing from a distance as a detailed spherical ended.

Thysse tried to ambush Koopman at the beginning of the eighth, however Koopman responded by driving him again to the ropes with a mix, bringing his left hook into play. Lastly, an enormous proper on the button dumped Thysse on the canvas for a second time. Badly damage, he managed to beat the depend, however Koopman landed an enormous proper uppercut that snapped his head again. How he stayed on his toes and made it out of the spherical, solely he’ll know.

Thysse had given his all and it was a smart resolution to not let him exit for the ninth.

Shervantaigh Koopman survived a rocky fourth spherical to place in a career-best efficiency for his ninth stoppage win and saved his undefeated report intact at 12-0. His future can solely be vibrant.

Brandon Thysse might drop to 15-4-1, however he as soon as once more proved himself a real warrior.

Undercard outcomes:

Tristan Naidoo TKO 4 Justin Mostert (junior light-weight)

Odieu Dzabatou TKO 2 Keanu Koopman (welterweight)

Beaven Sibanda W UD 6 Mthokozisi Ngxaka (strawweight)

The cardboard was introduced by Rodney Berman of Golden Gloves Promotions.