Joshua Feldman to Face Siphiwe Ntombela

Junior middleweight Joshua Feldman is scheduled to face veteran Siphiwe Ntombela on May 24 at Big Top Arena in Carnival City, Guateng, South Africa. Ntombela is the right opponent for Feldman at this stage of the 20 year old's career.

Feldman, a native of Cape Town, is 6-0 with 3 KOs. He last fought back in February against Jonas Senga, the toughest test of Feldman's career to date. The fight was the first time he had gone as many as six rounds. A southpaw, Feldman is a developing a reputation as a skilled and athletic boxer. He can bang when necessary and has a good chin but is at his best when he can control the action from the outside.

Ntombela is a 32 year old from the coal mining town of Newcastle in the eastern province of KwaZulu-Natal. A squat, muscular welterweight, he doesn't have the best record at 4-11 (3 KOs) and has been stopped in 8 of his 11 losses. But he is considerably better than his record suggests. He has often been in tough as the B-side with eight of his losses coming against fighters with a winning record. He has also done well in fights he ultimately lost by KO.

Ntombela began his pro career in 2017 and was 3-2 before he racked up a string of losses. His knockout losses have almost all come late fights. He has shown an ability to withstand trouble early, but his punch resistance wanes as the fight progresses. Against Lybon Ntshani, a fight that Feldman's trainer Colin Nathan broadcasted, Ntombela was rocked in the first, dominated the next few rounds until a left hook in the fifth scrambled his senses and the fight was mercifully stopped.

Ntombela took his next fight, against Jacques Mavud, on short notice and was out of shape, spending much of the fight moving on the perimeter until body shots by Mavud ended the fight in the fifth. He next fought Wassim Chellan by boxing and moving. He survived a third round knockdown and finished the six-round fight strong, but lost by unanimous decision.

In 2023, Feldman and his friend and fellow boxer Doron Zinman watched from the balcony at Booysens Boxing Club as Ntombela pressed the action against a tall, slender southpaw named Aaron Muteba. Muteba countered well, and got the knockout in the fourth round with an uppercut which he set up with lots of well-placed body shots. Last year, Ntombela was competitive against prospect Almighty Creed Moyo in several rounds. Moyo, who had Nathan in his corner, went to the body and eventually wore down the journeyman, setting up a head shot for the knockout.

Ntombela has average handspeed and good power. Although the results suggest otherwise, he has improved a lot in recent fights. He used to circle into the opponent's backhand, but his movement is now less predictable. He doesn't throw many jabs and lunges when he does let it go, but he seems to have mostly corrected a flaw where his right hand moved away from his face as he jabbed. He likes to use the left hook and has a powerful overhand right.

Feldman, who was convinced to work with strength and conditioning coach Ignatius Loubser for this camp by Zinman, sparred with Boyd Allen. Of Ntombela, Feldman told SA Boxing Talk, "He's a come-forward fighter. You could call him a journeyman, but I know he's going to be game and comes to fight."

Though he hasn't always done so, Ntombela will likely press forward, so Feldman could counter and dig to the body. The uppercut may be the ticket as Ntombela has a bad habit of bringing his head in front of his lead foot.

"I want to make a statement this fight," Feldman said, "and these guys, even though they might be tough, they're not on my level. I feel like once I stop this guy, I'm going to be ready for an eight-rounder and soon to be a ten-rounder."

Feldman-Notmbela is scheduled for six rounds.

Doron Zinman to Face Ronaldo Sibisi

Featherweight Doron Zinman is scheduled to face Ronaldo Sibisi at Big Top Arena in Carnival City, Guateng, South Africa. The tournament is promoted by Boxing 5 Promotions.

Zinman is a 20 year old from Cape Town, South Africa. He's 2-0 with one KO. Nicknamed "Buzzsaw," Zinman has a come-forward style and a dangerous right hand. The fight against Sibisi, a native of Guateng, will mark the third time in a row Zinman will face a debutant.

Facing a debutant can be challenging, because they can be unpredictable. Sometimes debuting fighters don't have the proper experience to compete, but Zinman's first two opponents were quite talented B-sides for novices. Doron was particularly impressive in his last fight, a first round TKO victory over Nhlakhanipho Phungula in February. 

Zinman-Sibisi is scheduled for four rounds.

Hymie Wiseman: The Corn Belt Ace

Hymie Wiseman was a drastically underrated bantam and featherweight from Des Moines, Iowa. After his career, he managed heavyweight contender Lee Savold and became mixed up with the mob.

The middle child out of seven, Hyman Morton Wiseman was born on March 24, 1911 in Brooklyn, New York. His parents, Jacob and Rebecca, had immigrated to the United States from Russia in 1906 with their eldest daughter Esther. Jacob owned his own painting business in Brooklyn and continued to do so when the family moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1913.

The Wisemans joined the small Jewish community in Des Moines, Iowa in 1921. Jews had lived in Des Moines since its incorporation in the 1850s. A German Jew named William Krause started the first store and helped establish the first public school in Iowa's capital city. Decades later, the Wisemans were able to buy their own house in Des Moines for about $5,000.

At 5'5", Hymie was short, dark, and handsome. He combed his black hair back as was the style of the day. He became a professional boxer in 1926 at the age of 15, peering at opponents through hazel eyes. Wiseman fought his entire nine year career during Iowa's newspaper decision era. Since Iowa didn't allow official decisions to be rendered for far longer than most states, fights would only become official if a boxer was stopped or disqualified. As a result, Wiseman, who was never knocked out, only had a one official loss on his record, a points defeat to future featherweight world champion and Hall of Famer Freddie Miller in Chicago.

Beginning his career as a flyweight, Wiseman showed grit in getting up from a knockdown in the third round against Gaspard LaVoie in Nebraska in 1927. The 16 year old was already a veteran of 16 fights when he got off the canvas to slice up LaVoie's lip before the end of the round. Though Wiseman finished the six round fight strong, the referee called it a draw on account of the knockdown.

An "artistic jabber," Wiseman rattled off countless newspaper decisions in Iowa over the next year and traveled to California during the summer of 1928. He got in some good work with respected lightweight Mickey Cohen, who was visiting from Denver. Wiseman won an unpopular decision over Freddie Albin at the Hollywood Legion Stadium in July.

Wiseman was guided by Roy Feltman, a rotund and experienced manager from Omaha, Nebraska who oversaw the career of quality welterweight Tommy Grogan, and Dave Fidler, an ex-boxer and matchmaker from Des Moines who would run Club 100, an entertainment and gambling hub. 

As he filled into a featherweight, Wiseman developed knockout power. He only had three KO victories before 1929, but ten total in 1929 and 1930. The start of the new decade was especially auspicious for "The Corn Belt Ace." In January, he defeated Henry Falegano in a show promoted by Pinkie George. Falegano was considered "Iowa's leading featherweight" before the bout. In July, Wiseman ended the career of 18-year pro Billy DeFoe with a sixth round knockout. He was building a reputation as a show stealer.

A win over Emil Paluso punctuated a great year and earned him some recognition. "One of the best looking youngsters seen in Des Moines in some time is Hymie Wiseman, a hard punching featherweight," crowed Collyer's Eye. Wiseman was ready to take on B-level opponents and a year away from fighting the best in the world, said the Chicago-based sports journal.

On January 12, 1931 Wiseman faced former world title challenger Archie Bell, a Brooklyn-based fellow Jew, in a fight scheduled for ten two-minute rounds. No longer at his peak, Bell would still challenge for versions of a world title three more times in his career. Wiseman dominated his more decorated foe, surrendering only one round: the sixth.

Wiseman had to delay a fight against Harry Fierro two weeks after suffering from tonsillitis. When the fight happened, Wiseman won the newspaper decision. He was expected to beat Carl Wilfing of Omaha, and did so, but his upset victory over prospect Paul Dazzo of Chicago continued his ascent. A strong body puncher, Wiseman scored two knockdowns in the first and two in the second to win the six-round decision.

"Doc" Kearns took notice. The former manager of Jack Dempsey hoped to add Wiseman to a stable that included Mickey Walker and Jackie Fields. He offered the tandem of Feltman and Fidler $10,000 for Wiseman's contract; the offer was declined. Another player who took notice was Bushy Graham, the former bantamweight world champion. Wiseman learned a lot from Graham in a newspaper decision defeat in Des Moines on May 11. The local kid had trouble with the former champ's bobbing style and was rocked in the fourth round, but closed strong. It was his first loss in two years, albeit an unofficial one.

Even after the loss, Wiseman was deemed "the best leather pusher to come out of the corn belt in recent years." Pundits felt the Graham fight was a case of too much too soon. "Just another promising boy sent up too fast and ruined- Hymie Wiseman," Collyer's Eye declared. "Wiseman's handlers pulled an unforgivable boner when they pitted Hymie against Bushy Graham. They followed it up with another 'silly move ' in taking on Mike O'Dowd." Wiseman and O'Dowd fought to a six-round draw at Chicago Stadium two weeks after the Graham fight.

On September 23, 1931 Wiseman was back at Chicago Stadium to face Solly Schuman, a Jew from Chicago. Wiseman was just 1-2-2 in his last five fights, although the draw to O'Dowd was the only official decision. Hymie beat Schuman three rounds to two in a lackluster five-round battle. Notorious gangster Al Capone watched from ringside.

After a newspaper win over Kid Lehr, who was floored twice, Wiseman beat Schuman once again. Schuman retired after his second loss to Wiseman in under a month. Hymie next fought Carl Wells in a Sioux City rematch. Wells won the newspaper decision the month before, but Wiseman scored a knockdown in the fourth round in seeking revenge.

After a couple of fights, Wiseman won a newspaper decision over Billy Shaw. The fight was notable because of the referee, Alex Fidler of Cedar Rapids, who later claimed to hold the record for most boxing and wrestling matches officiated. Not so coincidentally, he was Dave Fidler's brother.

In January, Dave Fidler's entire stable was suspended from fighting Kansas when one of his boxers no-showed. For Wiseman, it was guilt by association. He never fought in Kansas again.

In March, Wiseman moved over to Joe Glazer, a manager from Chicago, who also guided the career of Jewish puncher Ray Miller. That August, Wiseman faced his toughest test, future featherweight world champion Freddie Miller. Miller split open Wiseman's lower lip in the second round and won the eight-round fight at Chicago Stadium by comfortable decision.

Hymie then didn't fight for over a year. He married Julie, six years his senior, on July 29, 1933 in Iowa, but he only stepped into the ring twice that year and not at all the following year. There was talk of a 1934 fight against Leo Rodak, but it fell through. He resurfaced in California for a fight on January 4, 1935. Wiseman scored a second round knockout at the Dreamland Auditorium in San Francisco. Later in the month he impressed Los Angeles locals while training at the Manhattan Gym. But he remained inactive until he fought in September back home in Iowa.

In his third fight that month, he took on the toughest test of his comeback, Canadian featherweight champ Frankie Wolfram. On the 23rd, Wiseman won when Wolfram fouled him in the fifth. A month later, Wiseman won a newspaper decision in the rematch with Nate Fidler acting as referee. He promptly retired. His remarkable record stood at 80-7-13 with 18 KOs. In 100 pro fights, Hymie was never stopped.

Wiseman spent the early part of his retirement from the ring working with aspiring fighters. At the 1939 Des Moines Golden Gloves, he served as kind of a floating trainer for any boxer who desired his expertise. In 1941, he acquired the contract of promising heavyweight Lee Savold from Pinkie George, who felt he had been shoved out of the way. George and Wiseman made up a couple years later.

Wiseman (left), Savold (center), Daly (right)

After Savold stopped Lee Nova in 1942, Wiseman cracked, "I wouldn't say he quit. He just didn't continue." Wiseman and co-manager Bill Daly were credited with saving Savold's boxing career with their shrewd management, enabling the "Battling Bartender" to make a living at something other than tending bar.

The beginning of the end of the relationship was evident when neither Wiseman nor Daly knew that Savold had briefly enlisted in the U.S. Maritime service. After Savold lost to Joe Baksi, Doc Kearns plucked the heavyweight away from Wiseman and Daly's clutches. Turnabout was fair play.

Wiseman next operated an illegal gambling ring out his Sports Arcade club in downtown Des Moines. He and his partner Louis "Cockeyed Louie" Fratto, aka Lew Farrell, practiced some shady accounting in 1947. A Chicagoan, Fratto was first sent to Des Moines as Al Capone's representative in Iowa. In March of 1948, Des Moines police raided the club and arrested Wiseman and Fratto. The charges were eventually dropped in November.

In 1951, Fratto squawked to the Kefauver Committee, a Senate initiative to combat organized crime. In his testimony, Fratto mentioned Wiseman. On August 18, 1954 Wiseman dined with another mobster Charles "Cherry Nose" Gioe at Ciro's in Chicago. Gioe had been Capone's Iowa rep before Fratto replaced him and still owned two theaters in Des Moines. When Wiseman and Gioe got into their car, another vehicle with three people inside pulled up beside them. Two men pointed guns and fired. A bullet entered Gioe's head, killing him instantly. Wiseman was hit, but managed to escape with his life. "All of a sudden I saw flashes and heard shots and I dropped to the ground," Wiseman recalled. When he heard the car speed off, he got up and ran, hailed a cab, and went to the Seneca Hotel where Gioe had resided. Gioe was killed by gunmen affiliated with mobster Joey Glimco. Wiseman didn't finger the culprits and temporarily stymied the investigation, offering false statements to police.

After this incident, Hymie Wiseman seemed to lay low for the rest of his days. Wiseman passed away in 1971 at the age of 60. His life was a testament to the toughness, resilience, and versality of the Jewish people.

Sources

"All of Sports." Ames Daily Tribune Times. Apr. 24, 1931.

"Cohen Flashes in Workouts." Los Angeles Evening Post-Record. Jun. 29, 1928. Pg. 21.

Dunkley, Charles. "A. Capone Attends Big Chicago Show." Scottsbluff Daily Star-Herald. Sep. 24, 1931. Pg. 4.

"Fidler's Boxing Crew Suspended." Monitor Index and Democrat. Jan. 27, 1932. Pg. 6.

"Gossip from Boxing Rings." Collyer's Eye. Jun. 13, 1931. Pg. 2.

"Gossip from Boxing Rings." Collyer's Eye. Mar. 19, 1932. Pg. 3.

"Graham Beats Wiseman." The Daily Nonpareil. May 12, 1931. Pg. 23.

"Hymie Wiseman Trounces Bell." The Omaha Evening Bee. Jan. 13, 1931. Pg. 16.

"Jack Kearns Offers $10,000 for Contract." Los Angeles Times. Apr. 24, 1931. Pg. A12.

Jones, Douglas M. "A Brief History of Judaism in Iowa." Little Village. Apr. 17, 2019.

"Legouir, Wilkins in Legion Main Event." The Omaha Evening Bee. Apr. 5, 1930. Pg. 9.

"Live Gossip of Boxing Rings." Collyer's Eye. Dec. 20, 1930. Pg. 3.

May, Allan. "Charles 'Cherry Nose' Gioe." AllanMay.com 2000.

May, Allan. "The Original Teflon Don: Des Moines's Louis Fratto." Crime Magazine. Oct. 15, 2009.

Murdock, Reid. J. "Critics Put Stamp of Approval on Des Moines, Iowa, Youngster." Collyer's Eye. May 30, 1931. Pg. 3.

"New Managers Helped Savold to Get Going." The Brooklyn Citizen. Nov. 25, 1942. Pg. 6.

"On Comeback Trail." The Daily Nonpareil. Sep. 19, 1935. Pg. 9.

"Ring Invader Impressed." Daily News. Jan. 28, 1935. Pg. 7.

"Savold in Service." The Evening News. Mar. 16, 1944. Pg. 21.

"State Plans to Check on Farrell Tax." Iowa City Press-Citizen. Mar. 19, 1951. Pg. 20.

"Terry Defeats Dakota Champ." Central City Republican. Sep. 15, 1927. Pg. 4.

"Tommy Loughran Gives Griffiths Lesson in Boxing." Omaha World Herald. Mar. 28, 1931. Pg. 9.

"Three Men Charge Under Gambling Law." Iowa City Press-Citizen. May 15, 1948. Pg. 2.

Walsh, Davis J. "Savold Confident He'll Be Next Heavy Champ." Nashville Banner. Jul. 30, 1943.

"Wiseman, Falegano Sign for Battle." Burlington Hawk-Eye Gazette. Jan 11, 1930. Pg. 3

"Wrestler Savoldi at Des Moines Tuesday." The Daily Nonpareil. Feb. 15, 1931. Pg. 14.

David Malul to Fight in June

Welterweight David Malul is scheduled to fight on June 14 at the Westchester County Center in White Plains, New York, USA. The 22 year old from Queens is 3-0 with 2 KOs.

Malul scored two vicious knockouts last year. In March, he showed improved skills in beating Shaquille Rushing by unanimous decision. But he still knows he needs to keep getting better. In March, he acknowledged to The Jewish Boxing Blog that he needs to improve "my whole game entirely. My jab, my right hand, everything. I'll be working on it in the gym. I truly believe my best skill hasn't come out yet."

On June 14, he'll have a chance to show what's he's been fine-tuning in a scheduled four-rounder. No opponent has been announced yet.

courtesy of Star Boxing

Daniel Ivanovski in Action Next Month

Cruiserweight Daniel Ivanovski is scheduled to fight on June 14 at the Shelby County Fairgrounds in Shelbyville, Kentucky, USA. The 24 year old from Israel is 4-0 with 3 KOs.

Ivanovski made his pro debut in Kentucky last September. This will be his third fight in the state. Each event has been run by Future Promotions.

Daniel suffered a cut over his left eye in his last fight when Romelle Terrell accidentally butted Ivanovski in the fourth and final round of their February 15 bout. At four months, this will be Ivanovski's longest layoff since turning pro.

No opponent has yet been named, but there is a durable fighter from the nearby rival town of Springfield. It might be difficult for Homer "The Southern Dandy" Simpson to whittle down to the cruiserweight limit of 200 pounds, though. Simpson hasn't fought since an embarrassing loss to Drederick Tatum nearly 30 years ago.

Ivanovski's bout is slated for four rounds.

Review of Fightback

Fightback: The Autobiography of Gary Jacobs

By Gary Jacobs with Colin Grant

Empire Publications, 2025

Gary Jacobs was a world-class welterweight who once challenged pound-for-pound great Pernell Whitaker for all the glory. During his career, he held the British, Commonwealth, and European titles. Well-respected in his native Scotland, Jacobs experienced fame and fortune, before plunging into despair.

In his autobiography, Jacobs presents a raw and honest picture of those low moments. He owns up to his mistakes, clarifying some misconceptions without excusing his actions. His downfall is understandable, even relatable. He comes across as flawed but immensely likable.

A proud Jew, Jacobs provides terrific insight into his mindset, an honest assessment of his opponents, and some fascinating behind-the-scenes revelations. His 1989 defeat in New York to former world champion Buddy McGirt raised feelings of self-doubt for the Glasgow-native, until McGirt beat Simon Brown two years later. Jacob's confidence vacillated from extreme to extreme throughout his career.

Gary's close relationship with Maurice Lewis, for whom the book is dedicated, is evident. His relationships with managers Mike Barrett and Mickey Duff had more nuance than the loving bond between Lewis and his protégé.

Co-writer Colin Grant begins the book with a gut-wrenching scene, vividly painting Jacobs as a distraught figure experiencing his lowest valley. The voice then shifts to Jacobs's. Grant does an excellent job of allowing that clear and forthright voice to shine through. The organization isn't chronological, a tactic which can lead to confusion but is mostly done well here. If there's one criticism, it's that Jacobs's take is so interesting, it's too bad the book isn't longer. The Whitaker fight is covered from every angle, but other compelling fights unfortunately receive less attention.

Fightback is a thoroughly enjoyable read that illuminates that Scottish scene in the 1980s and the world welterweight picture during the early 1990s. It's an engaging tale of a highly successful boxer who hit rock bottom and bounced back. It's highly recommended for all fans who wish to know more about this accomplished and complicated Jewish boxer.

Yan Zak Dominates in Debut

Cruiserweight Yan Zak burst onto the pro scene with a dominating first round knockout against the more experienced Darshan Singh today the Round 10 Boxing Club in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Zak showed he was several classes above Singh in a convincing display of boxing and punching.

Wearing nondescript red trunks with white trim, Zak peppered his jab into Singh's face and body to keep the free-swinging brawler from India at bay. The 25 year old  Israeli then scored with a punishing left hook to the body. He soon worked in his right to both the head and body. Singh was quickly in bad shape and a left hook to the body forced him to take a knee. The referee reached the count of ten about two minutes and twenty seconds into the fight.

Zak's performance was thorough. He boxed well, showed devastating power to the body, picked his punches well, and was extremely accurate. He kept his hands low to bait Singh so Zak could counter the wide-punching 20 year old. Zak's Reyes gloves were so quick that when Singh even thought about throwing, Zak's straight shots were already landing.

If Zak concentrates on a pro career, he has the tools and the style to go far. He's 1-0 with 1 KO while Singh is now 2-5 with 2 KOs. This was the first time the durable Singh has been stopped.

Yan Zak Weighs In Ahead of Debut

Yan Zak, the 25 year old decorated amateur from Israel, weighed in ahead of his clash against Darshan Singh tomorrow at the Round 10 Boxing Club in Dubai, U.A.E. Zak is one of the most decorated amateur Jewish boxers in years.

From Ashdod, Zak arrived in Dubai yesterday and weighed in today. BoxRec lists the fight at heavyweight, but Zak's team told The Jewish Boxing Blog that the fight is actually scheduled to take place in the cruiserweight division. Zak has primarily fought at 200 pounds as an amateur recently.

Unofficially, Zak weighed 198 pounds. Singh (2-4, 2 KOs) was 189.5 pounds. The 20 year old from Badiala, India has been as light as 182.5 pounds (his last fight) and as heavy as 202.8 pounds (his first fight).

Zak-Singh is scheduled for six rounds. For a preview of the fight, visit here.