Magic Man promises to bring WBC belt home from Japan
Local boxing fans need not worry that Japanese four-fight novice Tsuboi Tomoya is favoured to win the vacant WBC junior-bantamweight title on Sunday.
Tomoya’s dance partner, Ricardo Malajika, has assured fans that he is ready to work his magic and bring home the much-sought-after WBC belt.
“Stay tuned … there are seven days left and the Magic Man is ready to work his magic,” said the reigning IBO world champion, who is known as “The Magic Man”.
Tomoya trades around -400 (an implied 80% chance to win), while Malajika is the underdog at about +285.
The truth is, Malajika has everything going for him: longevity, big-fight experience, height, reach and power.
Twelve of his 17 victories came via short route, against two losses. He has boxed a total of 119 professional rounds.
Tomoya has boxed a total of 22 rounds across his four professional bouts. He has three wins, two by stoppage, and one no contest.
Malajika, his younger brother — WBA Pan African and IBO Youth bantamweight champion Charlton “Baby Pain” Malajika — and trainer Manny Fernandes have been in Japan for four days.
Charlton is lined up to take on SA bantamweight champion Landile “Man Down” Ngxeke for the vacant IBO belt at Emperors Palace on November 21.
“When he [Charlton] is around me, I don’t need no one else,” said Malajika, whose fight against Tomoya will be his first as a professional boxer outside SA.
“Us together is one great team. I feel like I can conquer. It’s all I need.
“I don’t know how the fight is going to go but at the end of the day I want my hands to be raised. It’s going to be war.”
Managed by Brian Mitchell, 28-year-old Malajika wants to become a world champion in five weight classes.
He has done that in two weight classes — flyweight and junior-bantamweight.
He dropped down a weight division and dethroned IBO flyweight world champ, ring veteran and 2008 Beijing Olympian Jackson “M3″ Chauke in two rounds.
“I feel good and excited,” said Malajika, who vacated the flyweight belt and focused on his junior-bantamweight title, which he has defended successfully four times.
Tomoya, 30, finished his amateur boxing career with an impressive record of 106 wins and 25 losses, which included 10 stoppages.
He became Japan’s first male gold medallist at the AIBA World Championships in 2021.
He settled for bronze medals at both the 2022 Asian Games and the 2022 Asian Amateur Boxing Championships.