It’s yet another Filipino opponent for Beaven Sibanda as he’s sweating buckets at the gym, preparing for a showdown with Joey Canoy at the Emperors Palace in Kempton Park, Ekurhuleni, on Saturday, 4 October.
Sibanda from Harare in Zimbabwe will be defending his IBF International mini-flyweight title when he clashes with the 32-year-old Canoy.
Initially, Canoy was set to fight against Siyakholwa Kuse in a World Boxing Council (WBC) Silver minimumweight title contest at the same venue and date. However, things have changed now.
“Yes, Beaven is fighting against Joey Canoy,” Sibanda’s manager Brian Mitchell confirmed.
The 23-year-old Sibanda will be making the first defence of the IBF International title, which he won after he stopped Richard Garde from the Philippines in the fifth round last month. Canoy, on the other hand, defeated Vietnamese opponent Mihn Phat Sam four months ago.
Sibanda is rated fifth by the WBC, ninth in the IBF ratings and 14th in the World Boxing Organisation (WBO) while Canoy is third in the WBC, rated 14th by the World Boxing Association (WBA), 10th in the IBF ratings and fifth in the WBO.
Having won nine fights with three knockouts and a loss, Sibanda will be coming up against Canoy, who has notched 24 victories with 15 stoppages, five defeats and two draws. – Monwabisi Jimlongo
