Hekkie Budler, his multi-coloured hair looking like a feather duster, turned boxer at Emperors Palace on Saturday to defeat a foe who seemed as if he had packed knuckle-dusters in his gloves.
Budler, holder of the IBO strawweight title, produced one of the more convincing performances of his career against Filipino Renan Trongco as he fought off the back foot and picked his punches like a sharp-shooter.
Two judges scored it 117-111 and the third had it 118-110 in favour of Budler, who improved his record to 22 wins and one defeat; Trongco dropped to 12-4.
Occasionally the diminutive South African tried to slug it out and that's when the visitor showed that he held the advantage in punching power.
Like at the end of the 10th round, after Budler had taken a few shots standing toe-to-toe in a flurry before the bell. Trainer Colin Nathan gave him a desperate look and a few harsh words as he returned to the corner. "Sorry," replied Budler, who was clearly stung a few times during this entertaining scrap.
"He hits hard," admitted Budler, who seems cured of his desire to rush every opponent. "He caught me with a great shot. I could feel it although it didn't hurt me."
On the undercard, cruiserweight Junior Makabu transformed baby-faced Gogito Gorgiladze, of Georgia, into a bloody-faced victim.
The Johannesburg-based DRC fighter was too strong for an opponent who, only 20, carried too much puppy fat around the middle and too little fire in his fists.
The end came in the fourth round when Gorgiladze's corner threw in the towel, moments after he shot a glance at his trainer as if asking to be rescued from this nightmare.
Heavyweight Kevin Lerena kept his unbeaten record intact with a six-round points win over the portly but capable Javier Corrales.
Ryno Liebenberg struggled to finish the ageing Flash Issaka before knocking him through the ropes - where he tumbled, appropriately, almost onto the lap of the one ringside doctor.
The only more convenient landing area would have been in an old-age home.
At 47, or 45, or whatever his real age, the Ghanaian looked well past his sell-by date and, on one or two occasions, when he stumbled, one had to wonder whether that was the result of a punch or his lack of a walking stick.
Thompson Mokwana was superb as he dished out a painful boxing lesson to end the unbeaten run of hard-punching Argentinian Matias Gomez.
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