Battle of the Hitmen

THE boxing fraternity in South Africa and Namibia will get to know the real ‘Hitman’ when Cassius Baloyi and Paulus Moses, who go by the same nickname, collide in Windhoek on July 28.

Their upcoming bout was confirmed on Monday by Dingaan Thobela.
Thobela, one of the four executive members of Namibia-based Sunshine Boxing Promotions (SBP), said Baloyi and Moses will be involved in a 10-rounder in the lightweight division.
“Not only will pride be at stake but also their careers. Victory will open doors for the winner. A top 10 rating in the WBO rankings has been guaranteed,” Thobela said.
His former stablemate, retired Namibian boxer Nestor Tobias, is chairman of SBP.
Baloyi, 37, from Limpopo, has held seven titles in five different weight divisions, while Namibian Moses, 34, has won only one world belt in one weight class.
Baloyi, once the best boxer of his generation, last fought on January 29 last year when he was outpointed by Argenis Mendez in an IBF junior lightweight title elimination bout in Brakpan.
That was Baloyi’s sixth defeat against 37 wins and a draw.
Moses, who stopped Simphiwe Joni in six rounds for the WBA Pan African title in 2005, won the same organisation’s intercontinental belt in 2006 before adding the legitimate WBA title in 2009.
He defended successfully once in 2010 before being dethroned by Miguel Acosta in the same year. He bounced back stronger to win three fights in a row and was given the chance to challenge for the WBO strap but was outpointed by Ricky Burns in the UK on March 10.
That was Moses’s second defeat against 28 wins. Baloyi and Moses are evenly matched strength-wise. They both have 19 knockouts.
Thobela said former IBO lightweight, IBF and IBO welterweight holder Isaac “The Angel” Hlatshwayo will also be in action on the night. He said Hlatshwayo will fight Bethuel “Tyson” Ushona for the vacant WBO Africa welterweight title.
Hlatshwayo, 34, is a seasoned campaigner but he was knocked out in two rounds by Bongo Lipembo, a novice of only eight fights, in March.
That was Hlatshwayo’s sixth defeat against 28 wins and two draws while Ushona, 30, has 25 wins, two losses and a draw.
- sowetanlive.co.za

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