Feldman is a real-life Spiderman. Just before his debut, he was bit by a spider, which must have been radioactive because the 20 year old from Cape Town has looked superhuman on his way to a 4-0 record with 2 KOs. He doesn't shoot webs from his hands, though, just straight lefts and right hooks.
The southpaw last fought on September 20 and earned a dominating first round knockout victory. "I was pretty pissed off because the guy never made weight," Josh told SA Boxing Talk. "I was coming to hurt him in that fight."
Shakoane is a 31 year old who grew up in Brits, North-West, South Africa. A tough guy, Brian sports a noticeable scar across his left cheek. He has been boxing for over ten years and turned pro in 2019. Since then, he has amassed a record of 1-3.
Unlike Feldman's previous two opponents, there's no doubt Shakoane will come to fight. In his debut against Ashton Davis, he showed a crisp jab early. He reached with wide power punches, but launched his shots with mean intentions. Davis placed a combination to the body in the first round, which caused Shakoane to retreat to the corner and cover up. The referee waved off the bout shortly thereafter.
Two years later Shakoane was involved in a wild fight against the taller Xolani Selimane. Both men came out firing wild clubbing shots like the old Toughmen contests in the U.S. Shakoane was hampered by defective footwear as he kept sliding around the ring. His corner took off his shoes after the first round, and he actually fought the final three rounds barefoot. Brian managed to bloody Selimane's nose and score a knockdown in the fourth round, but a left hook to the body ended his chances.
In 2022, Phumelelo Cele stopped Shakoane in the first round, his third stoppage loss in three fights. But Brian came back last month to score his first career victory with a first round TKO win.
This fight will be a good test for Feldman. Shakoane has power, so Feldman will need to be a bit cautious early. He also leads with his head and since Josh is a southpaw, an accidental butt is a real possibility. Feldman can opt for straight counters down the middle, or uppercuts when Shakoane's head leans forward. The key to a knockout will be body shots, but that can be risky against a shorter fighter with power.
This bout is scheduled for six rounds, a distance neither fighter has gone yet. Feldman believes he'll be even better when his fights are scheduled for more rounds, which makes sense. In previous fights, he rushed his power punches, aiming for a knockout. With more time, he'll be able to establish his jab and and can take the time to set up his power punches. He's also a vicious body puncher, a skill which will have more effect in longer fights.
This bout is scheduled for six rounds, a distance neither fighter has gone yet. Feldman believes he'll be even better when his fights are scheduled for more rounds, which makes sense. In previous fights, he rushed his power punches, aiming for a knockout. With more time, he'll be able to establish his jab and and can take the time to set up his power punches. He's also a vicious body puncher, a skill which will have more effect in longer fights.
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