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WBA Pan African lightweight champion Jason “Badman” Bedeman (12-0-2, with 10 knockouts) will have his work cut out for him when he takes on latest hotshot talent Bongani Dlamini (5-1, with 4 knockouts) on June 19 at Emperors Palace.
“It’s part of the lightweight ‘contender’ package we’re formulating” said Golden Gloves Promoter Rodney Berman, ahead of his April tournament and June extravaganza, the latter which will coincide with the FIFA World Cup soccer event in South Africa.
“Don’t be misled, but we need to identify certain lightweights who can carry the banner for this promotional group over the next few years and as such it’s pointless keeping the likes of Bedeman and Dlamini as well as Zolani Marali and Kgotla Baeti away from each other. As such, Baeti will fight former four-time world champion Marali on our April 27 bill at Emperors Palace and the winner of that fight will face the victor of the June 19 collision-course bout between Dlamini and Bedeman.”
It doesn’t end there, however, and Berman verified that the losers of those respective bouts (Bedeman versus Dlamini and Marali versus Baeti) will then face-off in the final match-up of the series in August or September.
Bedeman was scheduled to fight the skilful Luyanda Jacko at Emperors Palace last night (March 29) but according to his manager/trainer Manny Fernandes, pulled out of the contest because of shin splints. “Nevertheless, once he’s fully recovered, I’ll be preparing him for a grueling fight against Dlamini, whom I’m told is a pinpoint puncher with power to spare” said Fernandes.
The idea of an ‘elimination’ tourney is hardly anything new on the international scene and certainly it’s not the first time that GGP have sought to equate the skills of their various fighters in the same weight division.
“All this talk about fighters being wasted due to inactivity bears consideration and we at GGP are clearly hoping to accommodate our principal exponents in each weight division. That way no one can say that our burgeoning young lions are being fed cannon-fodder en route to establishing their reputations on the home front” concluded Berman, mindful that the ultra-sharp Bongani Dlamini will be fighting the brave Nicholas Modibeng at Emperors Palace tonight.(March 30).
Other fighters who came under the spotlight last night, were junior lightweight favourite Grant “The Fireball” Fourie who lost a majority 6-round points decision to the unheralded Sydney “Skeleton” Maluleka, heavyweight sensation Flo “The Demolition Man” Simba, whose opponent Mongezi Nzamela ‘chickened’ out of their scheduled six-round bout an hour before entering the ring, Raymond Bloom, who won a tough 4-round duke over Wensley Buys, Morne Bothma who chalked up his second win in the pro ranks by outpointing Cebo Ngema and exciting newcomer Prince Ndlovu who stopped former amateur star Christiaan Visser in the fourth round of a junior lightweight bout. Last night’s event was the first of two back-to-back African Ring/Golden Gloves Promotional fight cards spread over two nights.
April 01, 2010 at 10:01 am, candys said:
what a fight. Jaren must watch out!
April 01, 2010 at 10:30 am, corrie said:
Bedeman must not think that because dlamini has one loss its gonna be an easy fight please dnt underestimate him its gonna be a good fight but i think bedeman will come up tops and marali i think is over and baeti will win, monday nights bill was brilliant and as i said before i was quite impressed with Bothma when will he be fighting again Terry? And how many rounds will the lightweights be? Thanks for a great website
April 01, 2010 at 10:33 am, Britt said:
Eish I think Zolani still has a little fire in him. I think Zolani V.S The Badman. No people that will be a fight to be remembered.
April 01, 2010 at 11:09 am, Terry Pettifer said:
Bothma may very well appear on the next African Ring tournament bill and the duration of the lightweight bouts has yet to be decided.
April 01, 2010 at 11:50 am, lourens said:
BEDEMAN VS ZOLANI ..NOW THAT WILL BE A FIGHT!!
CANT WAIT .
April 01, 2010 at 12:36 pm, wessel said:
you go bothma!!!
April 01, 2010 at 12:44 pm, candys said:
zolani is not finish the are those up and down with boxing hey. A lot of people think Foerie is finish and i stil have faith in him.
April 01, 2010 at 12:45 pm, candys said:
mr terry big up to you your tournaments rocks and amen to the mach maker.
April 01, 2010 at 1:03 pm, Jacob said:
Fourie will never be finished!
He has a heart of a lion, rather down now than loosing when your up there!
April 01, 2010 at 1:43 pm, Classy said:
Stick a fork in the career of Marali – Cos its Done! That guys is shot – are you expecting him to rebound of 2 devastating KO losses at his age? He doesnt have the stomach for a gritty war and anyone who pressures him, connects decent headshots and has the stamina to keep coming forward will knock his ass out!
April 01, 2010 at 3:32 pm, Mark B said:
I am glad that we get to see the “BADMAN” in action on 19th of June.
That is going to be a great fight.(Big punching power).
Go Jason
April 01, 2010 at 3:35 pm, Jonathan said:
Jason you are our Champ.
Keep up the good work, you make the South proud.
April 01, 2010 at 3:46 pm, The Fan of The Badman said:
Can’ wait to see the Badman in action!!! I agree the BADMAN VS ZOLANI will be one hell of a fight.
April 01, 2010 at 4:39 pm, lourens said:
grant is definitly not finished .bit out of shorts at the moment but you cant keep a good dog down .this boy bangs!!!!!
April 02, 2010 at 9:47 am, fight fan said:
Zolani will knock Jason out in one round.
April 02, 2010 at 9:51 am, fight fan said:
Grant ‘s mind set isn’t right he need some good mental skills trainig then he may do it again.He goes into a fight with the attitude of win/lose it realy doesn’t matter.
Grant need to stop jumping around looking for exuses because of trainers.Stick to one trainer as far as I know he is with the third one his father………….big mistake.Grant hang up those gloves son You had your chance and blew it against a palucka like bedeman.
April 02, 2010 at 10:50 am, corrie said:
Hi classy,
I agree with you 100percent seems like you know your boxing i just wanted to know what do you think about flo and bothma and do u think baeti would beat marali?
April 02, 2010 at 2:07 pm, The Fan of The Badman said:
Jason will Knock Zolani out in 1 Round! Not the other way around.
April 02, 2010 at 3:25 pm, Jacob said:
Fight fan…. Obviously you dont like Grant and jason but guess what plenty of us love and respect them both. I dont think any boxer gets into the ring to loose, i think you just like bringing them down and i think its the best thing that Grants gone with his dad.
April 02, 2010 at 4:11 pm, The Fan of The Badman said:
well said Jacob!!! I take my hat off to anybody who steps into the ring. Boxing is not an easy sport.
April 02, 2010 at 4:14 pm, The Fan of The Badman said:
and I don’t agree with ppl eg “fight fan”… bringing down the boxers because they have more courage and heart than anybody commenting on this site, so give these guys a break and a little more credit.
April 03, 2010 at 8:39 am, Clinton said:
fight fan your a joke. to even talk about fighters this way. to tell a 26 year old fighter to hang up his gloves your a bigger joke. Fourie to join up with his farther and join from ultimate Fittness best thing ever. and jason is a hell of a fighter and to call him names like that. you shouldn’t even post on this site you joke. i would love to see the fireball come join mma, the cage and fan’s will love you.
April 03, 2010 at 9:05 am, Jonathan said:
Fight fan,you sound like a Palucka very negative person.
These boys work very hard to be where they are today.
Boxing is on of the hardest sports to date.
So think before you speak
April 03, 2010 at 9:10 am, Classy said:
*Corrie*
I have not seen enough of Bothma to make any kind of comment on him. I think Flo has all the tools for now. He is fast, powerful and has a great right hand hammer. My only problem with him right now is defensivly – his hands are too low (seems to be a trademark of Volbreght fighters). Its fine while he has the speed and head movement but one day he will get slower and then suddenly he wont have the defensive skills because he has never needed them…
Again, I have also only seen Baeti a couple times. He is a BIG puncher but I question his killer instinct. Zolani is badly shopworn and Baeti must have the beating of him.
April 03, 2010 at 9:11 am, Mark B said:
Fight fan, what a Clown!
Jason will knock Zolani OUT.
April 03, 2010 at 10:51 pm, corrie said:
Thanks classy you know your boxing keep the comments coming
April 04, 2010 at 7:47 pm, Taptap said:
I think grant is over,flo is a good boxer he wil def go places i c baeti outpunches marali and dlamini beating the badman i think dlamini wil come out tops but i like jason allot he is a good brawler?
April 05, 2010 at 12:54 pm, Jonathan said:
Jason has the work rate that can win any fight that he gets in to.
He has the punching power that matches any top lightweight boxer in the world right now.
Some people say Jason is not boxer but a brawler, I say he is a fighter.
Good luck to you “Badman” you have all our best wishes for you.
April 05, 2010 at 4:23 pm, Jacob said:
I think Grant is far from over! Just because he lost his last fight doesnt mean his over! I wanna see what you’ll have to see when your fav boxer looses a fight. I think Grant is just going to go tops from here!
April 05, 2010 at 4:30 pm, Luke said:
Grant over! Haha! Doubt that very much watch him come back with a bang!
April 05, 2010 at 5:17 pm, Clinton said:
tap tap can think. lol. think what you like support your men and don’t worry about fireball.
April 06, 2010 at 1:22 pm, fight fan said:
Dlamini is gonna knock out Jason Bedeman.
April 09, 2010 at 12:34 pm, Haniball the Caniball said:
Gents , please jason has learnt from his last fight and you will see a improved Fighter come June 19.Manny Is working hard on Jasons Weaknesses and will turn them in to strenghs.I think you will see a bruising battle and jason should come out tops. Grant Fourie is a great fighter as well and just needs to put the dissapointments of those losses behind him and refocus and he will fine. Writing him off now would be a huge mistake
May 11, 2010 at 11:17 am, Chynna ( #1 Fan) said:
Go Jason yo baby!