Rated fourth by the International Boxing Federation (IBF), world champion Ricardo ‘Magic Man’ Malajika has been mandated to clash against Japanese boxer Kenshiro Teraji.
The IBF has ordered Malajika, the reigning International Boxing Organisation (IBO) junior-bantamweight champion, to face Teraji with the winner going to occupy the number one rating, which is currently vacant. A win over Teraji will take Malajika closer to challenging IBF junior-bantamweight champion Willibaldo García from Mexico.
Should Teraji, an erstwhile World Boxing Council (WBC) and World Boxing Association (WBA) junior-flyweight and flyweight titlist, decline the offer, then Malajika will look for another opponent.
“This is an extraordinary start to 2026. Before we’ve even staged a single tournament this year, three of our fighters are in line for career defining bouts. It’s testament to the strength, depth and pulling of Golden Gloves,” Golden Gloves managing director Rodney Berman remarked.
After dethroning former IBO flyweight champion Jackson Chauke in March last year, Malajika went on to successfully defend his IBO junior-bantamweight crown against Filipino boxers Jayson Mama and Vince Paras in August and November respectively.
Meanwhile, it’s indeed a brilliant start of the year for Golden Gloves as Siyakholwa Kuse is scheduled to square up against Filipino boxer Joey Canoy in a WBC strawweight elimination bout at the Emperors Palace in Kempton Park, Ekurhuleni, on Saturday, 28 March, and Beaven Sibanda from Zimbabwe will challenge IBF minimumweight champion Pedro Taduran from the Philippines on Saturday, 4 April. – Monwabisi Jimlongo
