By Jim Dower: Undefeated IBO super middleweight champion Thomas Oosthuizen (18-0-1, 13 KO’s) completely dominated challenger Serge Yannick (14-2, 7 KO’s) on Saturday night, stopping him in the 6th round of a one-sided fight from start to finish at the Emperor’s Palace, Kempton Park, Gauteng, South Africa.
Yannick, 29, was dropped in the 6th round by a big left hand from the southpaw Oosthuizen. He got up but was in a bad state so the referee opted to halt the fight at that point.
Using his long reach, the tall slender 6’4″ Oosthuizen used an in and out style to dominate Yannick, hitting him and then backing off and continuing this style. Oosthuizen was cut from a headbutt in the fourth above his right eye in the 4th. Other than that, he was unmarked.
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Mabuza stops Wills
Former light welterweight contender Kaizer Mabuza (24-8, 15 KO’s) ended his two fight losing streak by stopping previously unbeaten Steve Wills (16-1-2, 9 KO’s) in the 6th round to claim the vacant International Boxing Organization (IBO) light welterweight title. The 32-year-old Mabuza dropped the 28-year-old Wills in the 1st round and was bludgeoning him with unanswered shots in the 6th when referee Tony Nyangiwe chose to halt the fight with Wills still on his feet but looking bad at 0:40 of the 6th. Mabuza had lost two fights in a row before this fight to Zab Judah and Chris van Heerden. It’s good that he finally was able to capture a title after having failed to win the IBF light welterweight title when he was stopped in the 7th by Judah last year in March.
In other fights on the card:
Sipho Taliwe UD 12 Joey Stiglingh