Shervantaigh Koopman survived an early scare to cease his Canadian opponent Brandon Cook dinner in 5 rounds in a junior middleweight contest Saturday night time at Emperor’s Palace in Gauteng, South Africa.
It virtually went pear formed for the South African within the first spherical. Cook dinner began aggressively and went proper after Koopman, dropping him for an eight rely along with his left hook. He stored attacking, chasing after a reeling Koopman. A proper handcrafted Koopman’s gloves contact the canvas for a second knockdown. Koopman appeared to be tottering near the sting however stored his wits about him, holding onto his opponent and smothering his assault as greatest he might.
Then, instantly, he nailed Cook dinner with a left-hook proper hand mixture, the comply with up punches sending the Canadian down in a dramatic turnaround. Cook dinner was up, and after the third eight rely of the opening stanza, it was Koopman on assault because the bell ended the spherical.
Koopman began the second by sitting down on his jab and conserving Cook dinner at bay with lengthy pictures to the pinnacle and physique. A straight proper opened a deep gash above the left eye of Cook dinner that began gushing blood. The motion was halted permitting the ringside physician to take an extended look. When the battle resumed, Koopman nailed Cook dinner with a straight proper flush on the jaw. The customer was not carried out but and retaliated with wild hooks. Some landed and others didn’t.
In a wild third spherical, Cook dinner charged out of his nook and bulled Koopman to the ropes. Koopman stored issues tight and nailed Cook dinner with a proper as he got here charging in however the bloodied Canadian was nonetheless harmful and nailed Koopman moments later with an overhand proper of his personal. Koopman dug in a proper uppercut to the physique and adopted that up with a proper uppercut-left hook to the pinnacle. Cook dinner simply soaked it up and responded along with his personal proper hook. Koopman, nonetheless, had now discovered a method to deal with the stress and despatched Cook dinner stumbling after consuming a left hook. A proper uppercut to the physique dropped Cook dinner to his knees and it was clear that the native man had discovered the important thing to the battle. Cook dinner acquired up and took an eight rely because the bell rang.
Koopman went into full assault mode within the fourth. A proper uppercut-left hook-straight proper mixture launched a sustained battering, sending Cook dinner reeling into the ropes and nook. The Canadian iron man stored himself within the battle by touchdown the occasional energy shot, however he was taking punishment.
Koopman landed some arduous jabs and an extended proper uppercut to the physique to begin the fifth. He ate a proper from Cook dinner however responded by punishing the physique of his opponent. These physique pictures have been the undoing of Cook dinner. A proper uppercut on the beltline despatched him down for an additional rely. As soon as once more, he made it to his ft, but it surely was nearing the top. A proper uppercut to the pinnacle from Koopman made him stumble again into the impartial nook the place referee Jean-Robert Laine stopped the battle on the 2:59 mark as Koopman was raining down pictures on him.
Koopman, who walked by means of fireplace for the win, improves to 15-0 with 10 knockouts whereas Cook dinner drops to 26-3.
Shervantaigh Koopman is now clearly South Africa’s prime 154-pounder, and far is anticipated of him.
In the principle supporting bout, one other junior middleweight, Brandon Thysse lastly grew to become the South African champion, stopping Nkhensahosi Makondo within the eighth spherical. The battle had emotional significance for Thysse who claimed the vacant nationwide title in his third try on the belt. His late father, Andre Thysse, was Commonwealth champion and a dominant South African champion at tremendous middleweight.
Though tough and scrappy at instances, the battle was all motion from the get-go. Thysse began quick, attacking Makondo with arduous rights to the physique, thrown straight or as hooks. Makondo struggled to seek out the vary till he landed a proper of his personal. This prompted a two-fisted barrage from Thysse, ripping into the midsection of Makondo.
The 2 went at one another within the second exchanging vicious physique blows, till Thysse gained the higher hand by touchdown an overhand proper to the pinnacle, forcing Makondo to clinch. Makondo wouldn’t go quietly although and moments later snapped Thysse’s head again with a proper uppercut of his personal.
The brawling continued within the third. Though Makondo did get within the occasional arduous proper, Thysse was outpunching him. A proper flush on the jaw lastly dropped Makondo to the canvas. He made it to his ft, however a proper hook-left hook-right uppercut mixture had him staggered because the bell got here to his rescue.
The sample continued over the following 4 rounds. Makondo bit down arduous on his gum defend and by no means stopped attempting. He did have sporadic success, touchdown some arduous jabs, straight rights and physique pictures however Thysse merely had the higher output, punch selection and offensive method.
The tip lastly got here within the eighth when a left hook-right hand mixture buckled Makondo’s legs. Thysse instantly switched again to the physique. A proper hook-left hook to the midsection made Makondo flip away from his opponent and when his nook tossed the towel into the ring, the battle was waved over on the 1:06 mark.
Brandon Thysse improves to 17-4-1 with 13 stoppages whereas Makondo drops to 9-7-1.
South African junior welterweight champion, Ntethelelo Nkosi made quick work of Sanele Msimang, knocking out the challenger within the first spherical to retain his belt.
The southpaw stance of the stocky challenger posed no downside for Nkosi who began to land his pictures as quickly because the bell rang. He discovered a house for his straight proper to the physique and left hook upstairs. The challenger replied along with his personal proper hook, two of which landed however did little to discourage the ahead march of the champion.
A left hook staggered Msimang who stumbled again into the ropes. A one-two from Nkosi, adopted by a proper uppercut, a double left hook and a last proper crumbled Msimang to the canvas. The referee waved the battle over with out finishing the rely on the 2:56 mark because it was clear that Msimang was not making it again to his ft.
Ntethelelo Nkosi is now 7-2, scoring his fourth knockout whereas Msimang drops to 16-5.
Undercard outcomes:
Bonginkosi Nhlapo W SD 6 Tuvia Wewege (gentle heavyweight)
Dean Promnick W SD 6 Morgan Hunter (middleweight)
Juan Alberts W UD 4 Pieter Breytenbach (heavyweight)
The match was offered by Rodney Berman of Golden Gloves Promotions
