Sunday Times (Johannesburg) - August 7, 2005
David Isaacson

SOON Botes had support from an unlikely quarter in his comeback fight last Friday night - from a ring girl. She screamed her lungs out for Botes, a former SA super-middleweight and light-heavy champion, often suggesting he use "die regter" (the right). After Botes had won by TKO (courtesy of his right hand, by the way), I asked if she was his sister. "No, Soon is my uncle!" It turns out she went to the fight to support Botes, but while sitting in the crowd was asked by SABC staff if she would be keen to help carry the round numbers. Being a good sport, she accepted. "I enjoyed it."

THE spelling was perfect on Boxing SA's website this week. All they need to do now is learn which promoter runs which organisation. According to them, Howard Goldberg works for Branco Sports Productions, while Branco Milenkovic heads up Goldberg's Iron Fist Promotions.

NICK Durandt's Boxing World boxercise gym in Norwood, east Johannesburg, is aimed at executive clients. And when I popped in this week, I spotted one celebrity being put through his paces - Tumisho Masha, of TV's Top Billing programme and the movie Drum. It cost Durandt an arm and a leg to refurbish the gym, but it looks like it was worth every cent.

LUCKILY, nothing like this has happened in an SA ring. A fighter and a referee who were spattered by the other boxer's blood during a June bout in Ontario, California, are now fearing the worst after learning that the opponent was HIV positive. The infected fighter was allowed into the ring without definitive proof of a negative blood test, the LA Times reports. The fighter had undergone an HIV test before the contest, but it was inconclusive.

ANDREW Golota has pulled out of his August 13 bout against Przemyslaw Saleta in Chicago after suffering a cut eyelid in sparring.

DUMILE Mateza, the SABC Sport commentator famous for his verbal slip-ups (such as calling Costa Rica an African country), also gets it right sometimes. "What has become of provincial titles?" he asked in a recent chat. There's a dearth of provincial championship action these days, even though it can provide a good breeding ground for SA champions and title contenders.

MATEZA also decried the absence of SA boxers from secondsout.com's world rankings. But he'll be happy to note that the website does rate some SA fighters - Hlatshwayo (lightweight, 10), Thomas Mashaba (featherweight, 9), Gabula Vabaza (junior-featherweight, 7), Silence Mabuza (bantamweight, 4) and even Mzukisi Sikali (flyweight, 10). This is a better representation than The Ring ratings, where there are just two SA boxers - Mabuza and Baloyi (junior-lightweight).

IF ANDRE Thysse beats Daniel Bruwer at the end of the month - and I believe he will - his next challenge for the SA super-middleweight title could come from Bruwer's stablemate, Peter Mashamaite. Mashamaite is hoping for a title crack soon, adding he'd be willing to take on Thysse.

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