England invades South Africa!
By Colin Nathan
25.02 - Forget about the World Cup Cricket that is currently taking in South Africa, this weekend promises to produce fireworks in the boxing world when two of Britain's top fighters set the scene alight. David Starrie defends his Commonwealth supermiddleweight title over 12 rounds against the tough South African supermiddleweight champion Andre Thyss.
Starrie who has an impressive record of 31 wins (24 kos) and only 2 losses has been stopped only once in his career and that was back in 1997 in his 15th contest when the talented Dean Francis stoppedhim in 6 rounds for the British supermiddle title. His only other loss was on points when challenging Joe Calzaghe for his WBO supermiddle title and that was back in Jan 2000. Since then he has put together a run of 9 wins all by stoppage but against second rate fighters.
Thysse, who has a record of 13 wins (8kos) and a single loss is one of our better South African champions. He has successfully defended his domestic crown 4 times. He has got plenty of guts and is willing but is certainly not in the class of Starrie and should he win it would be something of an upset.
The main event sees Jawaid Khaliq defending his IBO welterweight title against the former WBU welterweight champion Jan Bergman from South Africa. This fight is make or break for both fighters. Khaliq is a talented fighter with 20wins (12kos) a loss and a draw and holds an impressive stoppage win over the WBU jnr middleweight champion Takaloo. In his last defence/fight he barely beat Ukrainian challenger Roman Dzuman over 12 rounds. Is this a sign of him slipping?
Jan Bergman moved up to welterweight and won the vacant WBU title by stopping Guillermo Mosquera in 6 rounds in South Africa. He made 2 defences of his title before giving it up in oder to fight Khaliq. He has a good record of 42wins (31kos) and 3 losses his only other loss was on points to the excellant Junior Witter over six rounds. Both fighters are on the decline and this is truely a "pick 'em fight".
The Fights will take place this Saturday at Carnival City, here in Johannesburg, South Africa.
