East London – Nkosinathi Joyi believes he will be on top of his game when he squares up against Argentine Walter Rojas in an interim WBA mini-flyweight title in East London on Saturday.
“My loss to Rodriguez (Mario) is in the past now and I’m focusing on Rojas’ fight and I’m going to win this one,” Joyi said after a pre-fight weigh-in on Friday.
“I know that Rojas has a very good record, but that doesn’t bother me at all.”
Saturday’s fight gives Joyi, a former IBF and IBO mini-flyweight champion, a chance to redeem himself after he was dethroned by Mexican Mario Rodriguez three months ago. Rojas refused to speak about Saturday’s contest.
Meanwhile, WBF junior-welterweight champion Ali Funeka said the moment of truth had arrived as he faced Zolani Marali in his first defence of the title.
There was a belief in boxing circles that Marali was robbed of a win by the judges after their first fight in Johannesburg on November 19 last year.
Funeka said he would show boxing fans he was miles ahead of Marali and would win comprehensively on Saturday.
“I’m ready to meet Marali again and show him who the boss is between the two of us,” Funeka said.
“This is one fight where I have to show people that I really won when I faced Marali in Johannesburg last year.”
Marali was adamant on Friday that he had won the previous bout and would set the record straight in the rematch.
“I’m going to beat him and no questions will be asked after our fight.”
South African junior-featherweight champion Macbute Sinyabi will meet Pfariso Neluvhalani for the second time in two years in his ninth defence of the national crown.
Sinyabi stopped Neluvhalani in the seventh round in their first fight at the Gompo Hall in East London two years ago.
“I’m going to do what I did in December 2010,” Sinyabi said.
“I’m going to stop Pfariso once more. Truly speaking, this guy has nothing to offer and will return home a loser after the fight.”
Neluvhalani said Sinyabi head-butted him before the seventh round stoppage.
Tshifhiwa Munyai and Oscar Chauke will fight for the WBA Pan-African title on the same bill.
It was announced on Friday that WBF women's junior-featherweight champion Unathi Myekeni’s fight against Brazilian Hallana dos Santos had been postponed to April next year. Dos Santos broke a wrist during training on Wednesday while preparing for the fight. – Sapa