Intentionally defying his age, veteran boxer and former world champion, Jackson ‘M3’ Chauke from Tembisa in Ekurhuleni, has set his sights on fighting for the South African junior-bantamweight title.
Rated number one in the junior-bantamweight division, the erstwhile SA and International Boxing Organisation (IBO) flyweight champion wants current national titleholder, Moyisi Booi, to put his crown on the line against him.
“Yes, we’ve put in a challenge form for the SA title. We want our shot,” Chauke’s manager-cum-trainer, Damien Durandt, confirmed.
After losing his IBO flyweight title via a second round stoppage loss to Ricardo ‘Magic Man’ Malajika, the reigning World Boxing Council (WBC) junior-bantamweight king, in March last year and also suffered a points loss to Ndabezinhle Phiri in a WBC Africa bout in November, Chauke bounced back with a win over former IBO minimumweight, junior-flyweight and junior-bantamweight titlist, Gideon Buthelezi, in July.
Chauke ruled the SA flyweight division for almost five years, making five successful defences in the process. That was before he relinquished the SA title following his win over Afghanistan-born Briton, Quaise Khademi, in a fight for the IBO flyweight crown in January 2024. – Monwabisi Jimlongo
