Joshua Feldman Analyzes His Last Fight

Undefeated junior middleweight prospect Joshua Feldman was pleased with his performance in his last fight on September 5, his first pro bout in his hometown of Cape Town. "I fought a good fight," he told The Jewish Boxing Blog. "If I had to rate my fight, I'd probably give it a B." Feldman defeated Emile Brits convincingly by unanimous decision in a step-up fight.

One of the most impressive aspects of Feldman's win was his superior conditioning. "My conditioning felt excellent," he said. "The training in Vegas with my coach [Brandon Woods] really paid off. He really worked me hard and I felt great the whole fight.

"I remember being in round five thinking, 'Man, my gas tank feels great,'" Josh continued. "In the tenth round, I still felt good." Not only did the 22 year old feel good, but he looked strong throughout the contest. This was Feldman's first fight in fifteen months and his first ten-rounder. It came against a rough opponent, which makes his conditioning all the more encouraging. "It's weird. I felt fitter fighting ten rounds now than I did fighting six rounds last year."

In addition to his conditioning, Josh pointed out other positive areas, "My jab was really good in the fight. My body shots were great." Feldman assaulted Brits's midsection all night. "He's very durable. To be honest, I'm surprised he was able to take so many body shots." That Brits remained standing is a credit to his toughness and not an indication of a lack of power or punch placement on Feldman's part.

"My defense was good in spots," Feldman explained, though he admitted he could have done better. At times, the southpaw expertly slipped Brits's attempts and blocked plenty of return fire, but he was hit cleanly too often. "I started to mix it up too much and play into his type of fight, which is a brawl," he admitted. 

When asked if he took control of center ring too early and attempted to walkdown Brits before Emile was ready to go, Feldman had a logical and thoughtful response," I don't think backing him up early was a bad idea. He's very uncomfortable fighting on the backfoot, so I think it was a good idea backing him up." However, Josh acknowledged there were holes in his defense and in his execution of the game plan, "I stayed in the midrange a bit too long and I left my head in the center, which is an area I need to improve upon. It can be a mistake that I do quite often."

Josh explained, "I fought him too much instead of doing what I needed to do: step around him and get back on my jab."

Coach Woods couldn't make the trip to Cape Town, so he and Josh parted two weeks before the fight. Feldman believes that if Woods had been there, he would have gotten his head off the line defensively and been even more effective offensively, possibly getting the stoppage. "[Coach Woods] would have reminded me of the stuff we worked on and I wouldn't have gotten hit as much, and maybe been more punctual with my shots," Josh said.

"I know I'm capable of more," he declared. It's the exact mindset a prospect must have. Feldman sees the progress he's made since first arriving in Las Vegas, but he knows he has potential to go much further.

A Stumble on the Way to the Top: An Interview with Doron Zinman

This past April, Doron "Buzzsaw" Zinman suffered his first professional defeat when all three judges had Thabang Mofula winning by a point. It was a tough loss to take early in one's career, especially since Doron deserved to win. Though Mofula produced his share of eye-catching shots, Zinman was the aggressor and landed the harder punches.

"I've rewatched the fight countless times," Doron told The Jewish Boxing Blog. "A fair result - with the point deduction and me taking control in the fourth round - should have been a win or at least a draw. That being said, it is what it is and on that night his hand was raised."

Zinman gave Mofula credit, "He is a skilled boxer, more so than my previous opponents and obviously more experienced." Doron said he wanted the step-up after defeating three debutants to begin his career. "There's no excuse [ for the loss]."

The 22 year old from Cape Town, South Africa is eyeing a rematch. "I believe I will stop him in the rematch," he declared.

"For me to win, I just needed to throw more punches, be more active, and not get caught up with what he was doing," Doron reflected. A higher work-rate would have prevented Mofula from picking Zinman off as the Cape Town man maneuvered to the inside and also from countering so effectively. Those shots in particular seemed to catch the judges' attention.

Doron added, "I'll focus on breaking him down from the first bell." In a longer fight, Zinman would have done just that, but in a four-rounder, he needed to hit the gas from the beginning. "I planned to do that, but it just never came to fruition on the night."

After spending a good amount of time in Johannesburg the last couple of years, Doron is back in Cape Town. He now runs Top Floor Boxing, a gym in his hometown. "The gym has been around for many years. I realized it is being under-utilized," he explained. "I want to make it into something special, make it somewhere I would want to train and people in the community would, too."

The loss actually served as a springboard to enhance his local gym. As for his pro career, he hopes the Mofula decision was just a brief stumble on his way up. "I want to fight before the end of the year," he said. "I'm living in Cape Town, so I'm working on finding the right coach to work with in preparation for my next fight."

Hopefully, he finds that connection sooner rather than later, because the fans love watching the all-action blond Buzzsaw in action.

Tristan Mizrahi to Fight Next Month

Tristan Mizrahi is 2-0 with 2 KOs. On October 18, three days after his 30th birthday, he'll face his third opponent named Garcia. This one, Andrew, signifies a real step-up for Mizrahi.

The Miami, Florida-based fighter has kickboxing and MMA experience as well as boxing. "I started kickboxing when I was 12," Mizrahi told The Jewish Boxing Blog. "Boxing was always a big part of my training. I've basically been around combat sports most of my life."

In 2021, he stopped Oscar Garcia in the second round. Tristan was a junior welterweight for that bout. Last year, he fought Oscar Garcia Silverio at super middleweight and stopped him in the first. Both fights took place in Sousa, Dominican Republic in miniscule rings. Mizrahi took control of center ring in both contests and dominated with a mixture of poise and straight punches.

"Over the years, boxing has become more of a focus for me," Mizrahi said. He has been coaching youth boxers for over ten years and also works with adults. "I really enjoy being able to take everything I've learned over the years and pass it on to other people."

The October fight against Andrew Garcia, a 30 year old from Hialeah with a 4-1 record, will be Tristan's U.S. debut. The middleweight contest is a chance for Mizrahi's pro career to build some momentum

Yan Zak KOs Peter Msyoka

Undefeated cruiserweight prospect Yan Zak battered Peter Msyoka on his way to a fourth round knockout victory at the Meydan Hotel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates today. Despite being knocked down three times, Msyoka proved trickier than expected.

A 32 year old from Tanzania, Msyoka began the fight attempting to win. Zak, a 26 year old Israeli, remained patient, applying front-foot pressure. Msyoka used his jab effectively, but when he let go of a right to the body, he received a hard counter left for his trouble. it wouldn't be the last time for that particular sequence of events. As a result, Msyoka held, something he would do often throughout the fight.

Towards the end of the opening round, Msyoka fired a wild right on the break. It missed, but he was sternly admonished for the infraction. The rest of the round was a battle of feints.

Zak felt comfortable by the second round. He boxed with his hands down, feinting and probing the guard. A lightning right to the temple forced Msyoka to bend down and he took a punch to the back of the head while on his way down. That punch was legal because Msyoka fell into the path of the punch. For the rest of the round, the Tanzanian held Zak tighter than Julius Nyerere to the concept of Ujamaa. Zak zipped some popping counters, but he was a bit wild gunning for the knockout at times.

Yan was perhaps too anxious to land the perfect punch in the third. He tried to set up a pull counter but couldn't quite time it. Msyoka's hands were active, but Zak proved adept at catching his shots. Both men showed good upper body movement, which played a role in slowing down the amount of effective offense from the other.

In the fourth, Msyoka landed two punches to the body but took a hard right to the temple. Another right to the body resulted in another Zak counter right, which put Mysoka down. A bit later, a clubbing right forced Msyoka to stumble around the ring as the end crept closer. A stunning straight right-left combination flush to Msyoka's face, snapped back his head. He quickly took a knee, shook his head, and remained down for the count of ten with nine seconds remaining in the round. 

Zak improves to 9-0 with 7 KOs. Msyoka is now 15-3 (15 KOs). It was the third time he's been stopped. After the fight, the promotion ambushed Zak a little bit by bringing another 9-0 cruiserweight, Tamba Merlin, into the ring and goading them to fight in the near future. Zak didn't take the bait and handled to encounter with class.

Cruiserweights Yan Zak and Peter Msyoka Make Weight

Yan Zak and Peter Msyoka both made weight ahead of their clash tomorrow at the Meydan Hotel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Zak came in at 199.8 pounds. His range has been between 190 and 202, but he has primarily straddled the cruiserweight limit by a pound of two. The 26 year old is 8-0 with 6 KOs. He arrived in Dubai yesterday for his fifth pro fight in the emirate.

Msyoka, a 32 year old from Tanzania, weighed 198.4 pounds. His range has been between 178.5 and 200. Peter must be commended for his professionalism in always making weight. With a record of 15-2 and 15 KOs, Msyoka is making his third appearance in a ring outside of his native country.

After the weigh-in, Zak refueled with electrolyte gels and a sports drink. He had rice cakes and water. He then enjoyed a meal of white rice and fish with a bottle of peach Vitamin Well Antioxidant.

Zak-Msyoka is scheduled for ten rounds and will be streamed on iFL TV. For The Jewish Boxing Blog's preview of the fight, click here.

Preview of Yan Zak vs. Peter Msyoka

Cruiserweight prospect Yan Zak faces Peter Msyoka this Saturday at the Meydan Hotel, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Though Msyoka, a 32 year old from Tanzania, is no pushover, Zak must be considered the favorite.

Zak is a 26 year who represents Ashdod, Israel. A member of the Tyson Mireli team, Zak has amassed a sterling record of 8-0 with 6 KOs. The Terminator is a classy boxer-puncher who has developed more of a pro style in recent fights. Instead of revealing all of his arsenal at once, Zak has been going through the gears to establish dominance before disposing of his opponents.

Msyoka (15-2, 15 KOs) is a skilled fighter, but not on Zak's level. All of his wins have come against substandard opposition, primarily novices. A 2025 win against journeyman George Dimoso was his lone victory over someone who could actually fight. That one ended when Dimoso took out his mouthpiece in the fifth, put it back in, and then spit it out.

The ending of the Dimoso fight is illustrative of how many of Msyoka's fights finish, though Dimoso wanted to continue. While Msyoka's knockout wins are not necessarily fixed, they almost always end strangely, which could be a function of his opponents looking for a way out. 

Early in 2025, Msyoka fought Ally Pori, who was apparently knocked unconscious by a body shot. For boxers, the frustrating aspect of absorbing the perfect body shot is that they're acutely aware of their surroundings, they know the pain is temporary, and yet they are powerless to get up. Pori evidentially didn't get the memo until he magically awoke a little after the count.

Msyoka's wins have also come against opponents with physical limitations. The most extreme case came versus Alex Mwakibete, who was significantly shorter and rounder in the middle than Msyoka. After showing some tricky footwork, Mwakibete was knocked out cold by the wind of a Msyoka missed punch.

Though Mwakibete is 40 years old, he isn't one of the several Tanzanian opponents Msyoka has faced who was born during the Julius Nyerere administration.

Peter traveled abroad twice for fights, and neither went well. He was drastically out of his depth against Faton Tulaj, a decent but unspectacular fighter based in Germany. Earlier this year, the Tanzanian fought Dhruv Supeyia, a Canadian, for the not-particularly-appropriate IBO Asia-Pacific cruiserweight title. Supeyia won a wild brawl by second round TKO.

Msyoka, who customarily wears light blue trunks with white trim and colorful ribbons dangling from his beltline, has a good left hook and throws effective body punches. He has some deceptive combinations, going up and down. He throws his right to the head more like a football, but his right to the body is a thudding shot. Zak cannot take Msyoka lightly, but the Israeli has fought tougher guys like Abdul Ubaya and Arshdeep Singh. He should take care of business early.

Zak-Msyoka is scheduled for ten rounds for a couple of belts.

David Malul to Fight in November

"King" David Malul announced on Instagram that he will return to the ring in November. He had been scheduled to fight on October 10 at the Paramount Theatre, his familiar stomping grounds. Instead, he'll fight on November 14 in Newark, New Jersey.

The 23 year old boasts a 5-0 record with 3 KOs. He last fought in June, an impressive second round knockout of Julius Thomas in Atlantic City.

His first three fights were on Star Boxing cards. He fought last November on his own King David Promotions show in his home borough of Queens. Last fight was part of a Boxing Insider event.

The details of Malul's next fight have not been announced yet.

Feldman Decisions Brits in Dog Fight

Undefeated junior middleweight prospect Joshua Feldman bested the tough Emile Brits by unanimous decision today at Makers Landing in Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa. Feldman captured a gritty fight with a mixture of supreme skill and strong resolve.

The 22-year-old southpaw from Cape Town landed repeated right uppercuts and relentlessly assaulted Brits's body. Feldman had never gone more than six rounds before, but he showed impressive stamina in this fast-paced ten rounder. He exhibited a mature game plan against the toughest opponent he has faced.

Brits, a 30 year old South African, connected with clean straight rights throughout the fight. Feldman's sturdy chin was tested too frequently for his fans' liking although he slipped a number of those rights. After a dominant first round, Feldman quickly took control of center ring in the second. The strategic shift happened too early in the fight, and Brits had a strong round despite a cut above his right eye. The blood percolated down his cheek in the waning seconds of the round, but his corner did a fantastic job of preventing a gorier scene.

Feldman's constant mashing of the midsection wore down the durable Brits. If there was a criticism of Feldman's right uppercut, it's that he initiated the failsafe tool when Brits was still fresh. Though the punch was there all night, Feldman could have possibly scored a knockout by holding off on showing that weapon until Brits faded. The element of surprise is a key aspect of securing a knockout.

By the end of the fifth round, Feldman was in complete control as Brits wilted. The question of a stoppage seemed to be a matter of when and not if. But in the sixth, Brits showed tremendous guts and got back into the fight. He took the next two rounds by slim margins thanks to a ton of straight rights. Feldman's left eye reddened in the seventh. 

Referee Elroy Marshall somewhat unfairly subtracted a point from Josh's ledger in the eighth due to low blows. In the face of the infraction, Feldman's body attack didn't relent, however. He won the ninth round convincingly and closed the show in the tenth as Brits tired down the stretch.

Two judges scored the fight 97-92 while a third had it 95-94, all for Feldman. The Jewish Boxing Blog saw it 96-93. The bout was awarded fight of the night, making the two combatants 10,000 Rand richer. After the contest, Josh acknowledged he fought on the front foot too frequently, spurred on by the hometown crowd.

Feldman's record is now 8-0 with 3 KOs. Brits falls to 6-4 with 3 KOs. He has never been stopped.

Joshua Feldman: Makes Weight, Ready for Step-Up Fight

Junior middleweights Joshua Feldman and Emile Brits both made the 154 pound limit ahead of their ten-round contest tomorrow at Maker's Landing in Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa. The winner will capture a minor belt.

Feldman weighed in at 153.2 pounds. With a record of 7-0 (3 KOs), the native of Cape Town has been remarkably consistent with his weight throughout his young career. He's been within a pound and a quarter for all of his fights. After the weigh-in, he refueled on Pasta Napoletana with chicken and bread.

Over the past year, the 22-year-old southpaw has been working with Brandon Woods at DLX Gym in Las Vegas. "His knowledge and ability to breakdown the fundamentals is unparalleled," Josh said of his coach.

Woods apprenticed for over a decade under the watchful idea of Kenny Adams, a legendary teacher and Hall of Fame trainer. The student helped the great Nonito Donaire prepare for his clash against Naoya Inoue, perhaps the best fighter in the world. Illness prevented him from working the corner that night.

A classic boxer when he first traveled to Vegas, Feldman has added weapons to his arsenal. "I'm very excited to show my progress in this fight." he told The Jewish Boxing Blog. "I've completely transformed the past year." One area of improvement has been his inside game. After sparring against Mexican contenders, Feldman realized his infighting needed work.

"Brandon has given me a great understanding of how to fight on the inside, using glove manipulation techniques, and moving my body in perpetual motion to create offense," Feldman told The JBB. That doesn't necessarily mean that's the game plan for tomorrow night against Brits, but it's a realistic option now.

Feldman and Brits sparred a little over two years ago. Josh felt he got the better of the session though he acknowledged Brits's team said their man was out of shape. "I know I've progressed a ton in the last two years," explained Feldman.

That progress has come about thanks in part to sparring with the likes of Francisco Veron, Stevie McKenna, and the Terteryan twins, Sebastian and Nikolai - the latter an Olympian. "It's given me a ton of confidence," Feldman said. "I couldn't have hung with them when I first got here last year, but I now can give great work to any 154 pounder out there." He credits Coach Woods with that development.

Brits, a 6-3 (3 KOs) 30 year old from Kraaifontein on the outskirts of Cape Town, weighed in at 152.6 pounds. He's a tough veteran of combat sports who has never been stopped. Splitting his time between welterweight and junior middle, the five and a half year pro has faced the far stiffer competition under the lights. A rough come-forward fighter, Brits signifies Feldman's toughest opponent to date. It's a challenge Josh will face without Woods, who couldn't make the trip to Cape Town.

The fight is scheduled to be shown on Ignition TV in South Africa.