SA owes veteran boxing promoter Rodney Berman for being a shining light even at 82

South Africa has consistently stamped its authority as the most successful boxing country on the African continent in producing world champions.

The country has had more than 50 world champions from the top four international bodies: the WBA, IBF, WBC and WBO.

Credit to promoters Mike Segal, Thinus Strydom and Branko Milenkovic. But the most world champions, including WBU and IBO holders, were produced by Rodney Berman. His Golden Gloves organisation has produced five of the six WBC world champions South Africa has had.

Berman continues guiding world champions, even at the age of 82.

Last weekend the number of WBC world champs from South Africa rose to six when Ricardo “Magic Man” Malajika won the junior bantamweight belt in Japan.

Five months ago, Siyakholwa “One Way” Kuse won the same organisation’s mini flyweight title at Emperors Palace.

[The WBC’s] iconic green and gold belt is the most coveted and widely recognised strap among fighters.

WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman was ringside. The Mexican was invited by Berman, now CEO of Golden Gloves.

Berman and Golden Gloves’ new director, Nivi Grogor, intend to put South Africa in a favourable position to host the WBC Convention next year.

Only Bernice Ferreira won her junior lightweight belt outside Golden Gloves. Ferreira, South Africa’s first WBC female world champion, is guided by manager Colin Nathan.

Kuse and Malajika are trained by Manny Fernandes and managed by Brian Mitchell.

But Nigeria has produced more world champions from other sanctioning bodies:

South Africa has had three fighters presented with The Ring Magazine belt: Vic “The Benoni Atom” Toweel, Hekkie “Hexecutioner” Budler and Mitchell. That belt is viewed as the true “lineal” championship (the man who beat the man) rather than a corporate sanctioning body. It is awarded to the definitive No 1 fighter in a weight class.

South Africa’s success began with Toweel in 1950 when he became the undisputed bantamweight champion. Two years later, Jake Ntuli won the British Empire flyweight title, and Peter “Terror” Mathebula won the WBA flyweight title in 1980.

While opinions among boxing historians and fans vary, the general hierarchy of prestige is: