SA fighter may rue lack of ring time
Nkosinathi Joyi may learn to his cost on Friday night that the problem with blowing away opponents early is that you lose out on valuable ring experience.
East London?s hard-hitting and unbeaten strawweight sensation takes on former IBF champion Florante Condes, nicknamed Little Pacquiao after his more famous Philippines countryman, Manny Pacquiao, who knocked out Ricky Hatton last month.
The pair meet at the beachside Orient Theatre in East London in an eliminator for the IBF crown held by Mexican Raul Garcia.
In the past four years, Joyi has stopped seven foes over a total of 21 rounds, or an average of three rounds a fight. In that same period Condes has been the distance in three of 11 fights, with 10 victories, for a total of 69 rounds. That works out to just more than six rounds a fight.
This statistic is vital, but frequently overlooked, with the decision often going the way of the fighter with more rounds under his belt.
The classic example is when Muhammad Ali beat George Foreman ? Ali went into the 1974 Rumble in the Jungle having fought 120 rounds in 11 bouts, with one loss, in the previous two years. During that time the undefeated Foreman demolished eight opponents in 15 rounds.
Joyi, however, doesn?t need to look at these statistics to know he could be in for a torrid time ? The Ring magazine ranks Condes at No4 and the SA boxer eighth.
Joyi won?t simply be facing a test on Friday night, he?s up against the real thing in Condes.
I?m not suggesting Joyi should have toyed with his last seven victims to gain extra ring time ? only one got as far as the seventh round ? but his backers should have organised stiffer opposition along the way.
Sure, Joyi is a class act and worthy of the world rankings he holds, but boxers learn best in the ring. Joyi is a powerful fighter, but technically there are question marks over his defence, as well as his chin.
The Joyi camp, however, have scrutinised footage of Condes and believe they have found weaknesses in the Filipino?s make- up.
Condes comes with an overall record of 23 wins, 20 by stoppage, and four losses, his most recent being to Garcia just more than a year ago when he lost the IBF title.
Condes dropped Garcia in the final round of that clash in Mexico, but lost by split decision. His other three losses were also on points, two of them by split decision.
Joyi boasts a flawless record of 19 victories, 15 inside the distance, and 12 of them within three rounds. He?s been 12 rounds twice, in early 2005 and 2004. In total, Joyi has boxed 77 professional rounds compared to Condes? 135.
Even with their 35 stoppage wins between them, don?t be surprised if this fight goes the distance.
In spite of the difference in experience, Joyi will be buoyed by already having beaten a fighter who lost by split decision to Raul Garcia, Mexico?s Sammy Gutierrez, whom he stopped in the seventh round last year.
The bout against Condes will also be a test for controversial trainer Boyboy Mpulampula who, in spite of being named trainer of the year by Boxing SA in February, showed a disturbing inability to throw in the towel while his boxer, Samora Msophi, was taking a lethal beating almost exactly a year ago.
Branco Sports Productions, co-owned by Branco Milenkovic and Baby Jake Matlala, stepped in to stage the bout after Joyi?s promoter, Siphato Handi, failed to meet the IBF?s stipulations.
Handi backed the shambolic tournament in East London in November ? the last time Joyi fought ? when he failed to pay the boxers? purses on time, sparking a protest from the fighters who forced the tournament to be postponed from the Friday night to the Saturday.
