Manny Fernandes is addicted to winning championship belts and his addiction is taking him back to the Emperors Palace in Kempton Park, Ekurhuleni, where his boxer, Charlton ‘Baby Pain’ Malajika, will meet Landile ‘Man Down’ Ngxeke on Saturday next week.
At stake during Malajika’s showdown against Ngxeke is the vacant International Boxing Organisation (IBO) junior-bantamweight title.
This year alone, Fernandes has guided Siyakholwa Kuse and Ricardo Malajika to World Boxing Council (WBC) minimumweight and junior-bantamweight glory respectively. Now he wants to add the IBO title to the two titles to cap a very successful year.
“Charlton is looking very good. It was a good experience for him to go with us to Japan and see exactly how professional boxing is run in Japan. I’m really confident with another victory,” Fernandes said.
In Sada-born Ngxeke, the current South African bantamweight champion, Malajika will be coming up against a formidable foe, who’s more experienced than him.
“We know it’s not gonna be easy. We train hard, we fight easy. We have done the hard work in the last week and a half going to the fight. We’re ready, come fight night and we expect an excellent performance from Charlton,” Fernandes remarked.
Malajika takes a professional record of nine wins with four knockouts, a loss and a draw to the Ngxeke duel. He has not lost in his last 10 fights, having only lost to Ndabezinhle Phiri on debut in October 2023.
On the other hand, Ngxeke is yet to lose to a South African boxer. He has 17 victories with nine stoppages, two defeats and a draw. – Monwabisi Jimlongo
