What was hoped to be a breakout win for Roarke Knapp shortly became a nightmare when he was knocked out within the third spherical by his Mexican opponent, Jorge Garcia Perez, on Saturday night time at Emperor’s Palace in Kempton Park, South Africa.
The primary spherical of the junior middleweight 12 rounder started with each fighters jostling for place. Knapp inched ahead, jabbing to the chest whereas Perez landed a glancing proper hook. Knapp landed a proper uppercut. Perez flurried to the physique. Knapp knocked his opponent again to the ropes with a straight proper, probably shading the spherical.
Knapp continued to land his straight proper within the second whereas Perez answered together with his uppercut. The home fighter then backed the customer right into a nook the place he unloaded a mix to the physique and head. Instantly, Perez tagged him with a left hook which prompted Knapp to blow up and ship the spray flying with one other huge proper. The pair traded because the bell rang and one obtained the sensation that Knapp had a slight edge within the exchanges.
All of it got here crashing down within the third. Knapp went down moments after Perez landed a proper uppercut in what was dominated a slip. As he obtained up, Perez sensed one thing and went after him. A terrific left hook knocked him again right into a nook. Perez jumped on him. One other left hook, a number of left uppercuts, physique pictures and a remaining proper to the pinnacle crumbled Knapp on the canvas. He obtained to his toes however slumped backwards into the nook in a sitting place the place he was counted out on the 1:05 mark.
Jorge Garcia Perez improves to 30-4 with 25 knockouts. The facility, it appears, is actual. He deserves reward for a formidable victory on the street. Knapp drops to 17-2-1. This will likely be a tough defeat to recuperate from, however he has proven large resilience previously. Time will inform.
South Africa’s different rising junior middleweight, Shervantaigh Koopman received a unanimous ten spherical determination over Wendy Toussaint in a struggle that by no means actually caught fireplace.
Shervantaigh Koopman (proper) fires a punch at Wendy Toussaint. Picture by James Gradidge
Toussaint was as awkward as they arrive. Usually an orthodox fighter, he got here out of his nook combating in a southpaw stance, circling the ring, transferring away from Koopman. Nobody might land a punch within the first spherical.
Koopman began touching him with glancing rights to the physique within the second, however Toussaint doggedly stored transferring away. Koopman chased, attempting his utmost to land with solely the occasional proper hook or looping left getting back from Toussaint.
Koopman began throwing mixtures within the fourth prompting extra motion from Toussaint who landed a number of proper hooks earlier than altering again to an orthodox stance. He landed a single left hook, however Koopman was busier.
Toussaint spent the fifth switching between stances whereas Koopman despatched the sweat flying with a number of good rights. Toussaint threw his personal proper each time he switched his stance again to orthodox, however Koopman was extra constant.
In rounds six to eight Toussaint determined to settle within the orthodox stance and are available ahead. The change in ways labored significantly better for him. He began to make use of his jab and located a house with a left hook-right hand mixture. The stress had Koopman trying barely uncomfortable.
Sensing some urgency, Koopman let his fingers go within the ninth and located success with mixtures to the physique. Toussaint was nonetheless touchdown a single shot right here and there, however Koopman was swinging the momentum again his method.
Koopman landed a collection of left hooks to begin the final spherical. A looping proper adopted moments later as Toussaint obtained again on his bicycle.
The scores have been 98-92, 96-94 and 97-93, all for Koopman. It wasn’t fairly however a win is a win.
Shervantaigh Koopman stays undefeated, transferring to 14-0 with 9 knockouts whereas Wendy Toussaint drops to 15-3.
In a battle between two former nationwide heavyweight champions, Chris Thompson received a unanimous eight spherical determination over Juan Roux.
Roux was coming off a two-year damage enforced layoff and it confirmed. He got here ahead however struggled to tug the set off in opposition to the southpaw Thompson who did all the things proper. He landed a number of straight lefts within the first and lifted Roux’s foot off the canvas with a snapping proper hook.
Roux pushed him right into a nook within the second, touchdown a single proper and dealing the physique however Thompson would maintain after which struggle his method out of the nook, touchdown the sooner, crisper pictures.
It was extra of the identical within the third with Thompson utilizing his jab and straight left to the physique. When Roux attacked with single rights, Thompson shoe-shined him and dropped in proper hooks round Roux’s guard.
Roux did higher within the subsequent two rounds. He landed an enormous proper with Thompson backed right into a nook within the fourth. He managed one other mixture to the physique later within the spherical adopted with a left hook upstairs with Thompson on the ropes. Within the fifth, Roux landed a single uppercut and a straight proper moments later had Thompson holding on. That was the tip of his success.
From then, Thompson simply took over, touchdown to each the physique and head of Roux who walked by way of some flush pictures that despatched the spray flying.
Thompson completed the struggle in type within the remaining spherical when a looping left, adopted by a proper hook and one other left dumped his opponent on the canvas. It was a tough knockdown however a courageous Roux by some means managed to beat the depend. Thompson wasted seconds when the referee was compelled to order him again to a impartial nook, then jumped on Roux because the bell went.
All three judges scored the struggle 78-73 in favor of Chris Thompson who’s now 13-6-1 with seven knockouts. Juan Roux drops to 6-2.
Strawweight Beaven Sibanda handed his first huge check, successful a unanimous eight spherical determination over the extra skilled Siphamandla Baleni.
The change hitting Sibanda was only a bit sharper and sooner than his foe. After a tentative begin, Sibanda discovered a house for his proper hook within the third. Baleni tried to tough him up within the clinches, however Sibanda remained calm, punching with no matter hand was free.
Sibanda landed a number of straight lefts within the fourth which prompted Baleni to assault the physique, but it surely wasn’t sufficient.
Within the fifth Sibanda began working his jab, adopted by mixtures to the physique, ending on high with the left hook. He stayed in that groove all the way in which to the eighth, when he punished Baleni with straight punches to the pinnacle and physique whereas stepping round his opponent. A lead hook had Baleni holding on for the ultimate bell.
Beaven Sibanda triumphed by scores of 77-75 and 79-73 twice and is now 7-0 with two knockouts. Siphamandla Baleni drops to 21-7-2.
Undercard Outcomes:
Bryan Thysse KO 3 Sanele Mbatha (lightheavyweight)
Charlton Malajika W UD 6 Arnel Lubisi (bantamweight)
The cardboard was introduced by Rodney Berman of Golden Gloves Promotions.
