Josh Feldman Makes Weight, Opponent Comes in Low

Joshua Feldman is scheduled to fight Sibusiso Muteleni tomorrow at Box Camp Booysens in Johannesburg, South Africa. The fight, however, is now in jeopardy as Muteleni  came in considerably underweight at today's weigh-in.

Feldman, a 19 year old from Cape Town, came in under the junior middleweight limit at 153.8 pounds. Josh is 2-0 and has now weighed between 153 and 154 pounds for all of his fights.

Muteleni also came in under the junior middleweight limit, but he was significantly under. He tipped the scales at 140.3, a satisfying bowel movement away from making the junior welterweight limit, two divisions below the contracted weight. Muteleni had come in at 149.3 pounds for his lone pro fight last May. He's either nine pounds lighter this time around, or his weight from the first fight was embellished.

When an official read off Muteleni's weight today as 63.65 KGs, the event's mc announced "63..." as a question. When the official reread the weight, the mc actually commented that it was way low. During the stare down, Josh remained composed, but a glint of confusion and frustration was evident.

Thirteen and half pounds is far too great a difference at this weight for the fight to take place. On top of the weight disparity, Feldman also enjoys a significant talent advantage, which can create a dangerous situation.


Update: The Jewish Boxing Blog has learned Muteleni weighed in again and was 144.5 pounds this time. As of now, the fight is still on.

Yonatan Landman Scores a KO in Ghana

Flyweight Yonatan Landman defeated Simon Tackie by knockout 1:10 into the second round at Bukom Boxing Arena in Accra, Ghana today. Platinum Punch Promotions and Box Office Sports Promotions co-promoted the event held on the eve of Ghana's Independence Day.

Landman, a 19 year old from Kiryat in Israel, started the fight aggressively behind his jab and left hook. He pressed Tackie, forcing the native of Accra back to the ropes on several occasions in the first round. Landman had some trouble finding the range early and allowed himself to fall into clinches on a few occasions.

A minute into the contest, Tackie fell in a heap from an apparent short left hook. It seemed the Ghanaian would be counted out, but he showed resilience in getting up and continuing to fight. Landman's lefts set up a right to the body that put Tackie down again at the end of the round. That first stanza ran several seconds long, but neither man did any more damage.

Yonatan's jabs and left hooks in the second round set up another right to the body, which scored another knockdown. Eschewing the guiding principal of nonviolence espoused by Ghana's founding father, Kwame Nkrumah, Tackie responded by throwing a wild ill-intentioned combination. It would prove to be his undoing. A short counter left hook floored Simon, who laid prostrate on his face for the ten-second count. He got up a few seconds later and appeared relatively ok, if decidedly defeated.

After the fight was stopped, Landman was living the highlife as promoter and popular boxer Prince Patel picked him up in celebration. Yonatan is now 2-0 with two KOs. BoxRec attributes an extra loss to Tackie who is now 0-3.

Sagiv Ismailov Steps Away from Boxing

Sagiv Ismailov has decided to put his boxing career on hold, The Jewish Boxing Blog has learned. Ismailov, a 21 year old, is planning to get married this year and is on route to accept a position in law enforcement.

Ismailov is 7-0 with 2 KOs. He scored quick stoppage victories in his first two fights in 2020. After a 21-month layoff, he faced fellow Jewish boxer Nikita Basin, scoring a first round knockdown, but fading late. Last year, Sagiv fought four times and showed dramatic improvement.

In February, he won an ugly fight against a tall southpaw. He showed good variety in his offense in May. In November, under difficult conditions, Ismailov won by decision behind the jab. The next month, Sagiv displayed superior defense and threw clever combinations. With his IDF commitment finished last August, he seemed ready to devote himself to his boxing career. But life has a way of changing one's plans.

Ismailov was scheduled to fight in Spain on March 23. It would have been the seventh different country in which he has fought during his pro career. His fights took place in Albania, Turkey, Israel, Estonia, Germany, and Moldova. But with a new career on the horizon, Ismailov won't have enough time to adequately train.

Ismailov's coach, Evgheni Boico, now intends to move to Spain to help build up the boxing scene in Valencia. It's a sad loss for Israeli boxing. Boico is an outstanding coach who promoted the last two professional events in Israel. And Sagiv was one of the best young prospects based in the country and the furthest along in his pro career.

The Jewish Boxing Blog wishes Sagiv all the best.