IBF flyweight belt has been elusive for SA boxers The pickings have been lean in South African boxing this year, but flyweight Moruti ?Baby Face? Mthalane will look to change that when he challenges IBF champion Nonito Donaire in Las Vegas on Saturday night (Sunday morning SA time).
The Filipino champion, who destroyed Vic Darchinyan to win the belt last year, is now rated the world?s best in the division by the authoritative The Ring magazine.
The same publication has Mthalane at No10, following his 12-round domination of Australian contender Hussein Hussein.
But Donaire seems to be expecting few problems from Mthalane, who trains with ace Johannesburg mentor, Nick Durandt.
?He (Mthalane) is one-dimensional but really tough and always in shape,? Donaire told fightnews.com. ?I know I will take him out if I throw the right punches,? added the Filipino, who is already thinking of super-fights one division up at junior-bantamweight, against the likes of Darchinyan, Jorge Arce, Christian Mijares and Fernando Montiel.
Arce, best known to SA fans for his demolition job on Mthalane?s stablemate, Hawk Makepula, fights on the same bill.
?These guys make it easy to focus,? added Donaire. ?It helps me focus, to think about future fights. These are the guys I want to chop down. They are the obstacles for me.?
Donaire, with a record of 19 wins (12 KOs) and a loss, has fought in the US for most of his career, although he shares the same home town in the Philippines as featherweight icon Manny Pacquiao, who takes on Oscar De La Hoya in December.
Donaire?s only defeat was a points loss in his second professional fight in March 2001.
At 22-1 (15 KOs), Mthalane has a similar-looking record, but he hasn?t fought the same calibre of opponent.
Of his last six foes, four had failed to win both of their last two bouts before meeting Mthalane. His only loss came in September 2004, when he was stopped in the 11th round by Nkqubela Gwazela.
The most impressive win by an SA boxer this year was Ali Funeka?s four-round destruction of Zahir Raheem, most famous for his 2005 points win over Erik Morales. After that it was probably Cassius Baloyi?s points win over Mzonke Fana for the IBF junior-lightweight title. But a victory over Donaire would easily eclipse those two efforts.
History, however, is against Mthalane; the IBF flyweight belt has proven elusive for South Africans over the years.
Baby Jake Matlala failed in his tilt in 1991, and the late Mzukisi Sikali quit against Darchinyan in 2005. Since 1996, the belt has been held by only four men ? Mark Johnson, Irene Pacheco, Darchinyan and Donaire ? making it the most stable 50kg belt of the four major world sanctioning bodies.
SA?s only mainstream flyweight world champions have been Matlala, when he held the WBO version from 1993-1995, and Peter Mathebula, who lost the WBA crown in his first defence in 1981.
