Golden Gloves

Golden Gloves Promoter Rodney Berman admits that IBF featherweight champion Cristobal Cruz (39-11-1, 23 knockouts) faces a trying test on Saturday night in Chiapas, Mexico when he defends his world title against Ricardo Castillo (38-7, 25 knockouts).

The hard-punching Cruz, who is co-promoted by Golden Gloves Promotions and Berman’s US business associate Art Pellulo of Banner Promotions, will be making the third defence of his IBF crown and is attracting a great deal of notice from several of the other sanctioning groups, all of which now recognize his talent as a ‘late bloomer’.

“Cruz is one helluva fighter and both Artie and I feel that he could conceivably go on to unify the world featherweight championship in 2010” said Berman, whose also looking at the likelihood of an IBO welterweight title shootout early next year between his Australia-based world champion Lovemore Ndou and highly ranked IBF welterweight contender Delvin Rodriguez.

“It’s a fight that could elicit a great deal of interest and naturally Artie and I will be talking business to Rodriguez’s promoter Joey De Guardia early in 2010” said Berman.

With the Christmas festivities around the corner, Berman will be traveling down to the coast for a brief vacation before settling down to business ahead of what he promises will be the most vibrant and exciting year in the history of South African boxing.

“We shall set new benchmarks in 2010 and our February 27 tournament will be the prelude to the mammoth boxing extravaganza penciled in for Emperors Palace on June 18” added Berman.

As for the February 27 line-up, Berman confirmed that there would be only one change to the roster announced late last week. “WBA Intercontinental champion Tshifhiwa Munyai will now be facing Daniel Ferreras of the Philippines, instead of the opponent we’d earlier been speculating on” Berman said.

“Ferreras has been fighting professionally since 2006, has never been stopped, packs a solid variety of blows and most recently lost a tough 12-round decision to the highly respected Kottei Kono in a bout for the OPBF junior bantamweight crown. No doubt he’ll provide the electrifying Munyai (18-1-1) with a respectable title challenge in February” concluded Berman.

The Full Boxing Bill for February 27 reads as follows:

NB: The tournament will start at 7 pm in anticipation of a huge turnout. This supposition has been underlined by pre-advanced interest in the fight as well as booking requests.

Vacant IBO world junior flyweight title: 12 Rounds.
Hekkie “The Hex-ecutioner” Budler (SA)  VS  Juanito Rubillar (Philippines)

Vacant WBA Pan Africa super middleweight title: 12 Rounds.
Tommy “Tommy Gun” Oosthuizen (SA)  VS  John Chibuta (Zambia)

WBA Intercontinental bantamweight title bout. 12 Rounds
Tshifhiwa Munyai (SA)  VS  Daniel Ferreras (Philippines)

Vacant WBA Pan Africa lightweight title: 12 Rounds.
Jason “Badman” Bedeman (SA) VS  Bilal Mohammad (Ghana)

Lightweight: 8 Rounds.
Danile Bothma  VS  Kgotla “Bang Bang” Baeti

Catchweight (90 kgs): 4 Rounds.
Flo “The Demolition Man” Simba  VS  Devi Jose