The critics said Azinga Fuzile couldn't punch, but he looked like a heavyweight as he demolished Tshifhiwa Munyai in three rounds at Emperors Palace last night.
The 21-year-old pupil from Duncan Village in East London, who starts writing his matric finals on Tuesday, stretched his unbeaten record to nine wins, with four knockouts, to book his spot in the Super Four final in February next year. He will fight the winner of Simphiwe Vetyeka and Lerato Dlamini, who were due to fight later in the evening.
Munyai, 32, came into the ring vastly more experienced with 33 bouts under his belt, but he was unable to work out his counterpunching opponent's southpaw stance.
Munyai tried to press the attack, but Fuzile made him miss and from early on his left hand down the middle found its target, catching Munyai off balance and putting him down in the second round.
But it was the same left hand late in that round that snaked through Munyai's guard that hurt his opponent and suggested that this was going to be an early night.
Munyai had no answer in the definitive third round, and this time Fuzile attacked, dropping his foe twice more. He beat the count on both occasions, but referee Ishmael Koali waved it over after the second knockdown at 2min 41sec of the third.
Munyai, who had looked drawn this week, perhaps the result of pulling weight, was clearly out of sorts, with his punches lacking snap and timing. Whatever the reason, "Golden Boy" Fuzile took full advantage.
The tournament was adopted by the WBC after promoter Rodney Berman's visit to the sanctioning body's yearly convention in Azerbaijan recently.
The winner of the final in February will get to fight in an eliminator for the right to challenge for the WBC's world crown.
Deejay Kriel, apart from the first round, easily beat Thembani Okolo over eight rounds, although you would have thought it was closer if you look at the judges' cards, one of whom amazingly thought it was a draw.
One had it 79-73 for Kriel and another 77-75, but the third, whose gaze at one stage was not on the action, scored it 76-76.
Kriel, whose WBC International title was not on the line, had more trouble with an abscess under a molar just over a week ago.
He had the tooth pulled, but there were no after-effects visible on the night.
Ringside was Hekkie Budler, who was also apparently guaranteed an eliminator for the WBC junior-flyweight belt.
But the IBF has ordered a rematch after his controversial defeat in the Philippines where the referee allowed the champion, Milan Melindo, to have a bad cut treated by his corner four times during the fight, outside of the minute break between rounds...