That fight - at Orient Theatre in East London - was Klassen’s 45th professional bout

The fight fraternity stood up and took note when Azinga “Golden Boy” Fuzile completely dominated and outclassed Malcolm “The Stone” Klassen, who succumbed in the fourth round on October 21, 2018.

Fuzile was an unknown fighter who was involved in his 12th fight, while Klassen had already won the IBF junior lightweight world title two times.

He first won that world title in 2006 from Gairy St Clair in a Golden Gloves tournament held at Emperors Palace.

Ushered to battle by long-time trainer Manny Fernades, Klassen lost it the next year to formidable foe, Mzonke “The Rose of Khayelitsha” Fana, in a Branco Universal Production event held at the OR Tambo Hall in Khayelitsha.

Klassen regained that belt with a seventh-round demolition of new holder, evergreen Cassius “Shy Guy” Baloyi, at the North-West University Sports Complex in Mafikeng in 2009.

Klassen, from Toekomrus on the West Rand, also won the IBO belt in 2016 before facing the young, talented and hard-hitting Fuzile, who blew him away with ease.

That fight — which took place at Orient Theatre in East London — was Klassen’s 45th professional bout.

It was his second short-route defeat and his ninth loss in total.

Fuzile also blew away Tshifhiwa “Atomic Spider” Munyai in three rounds in 2017.

Munyai had already won the former Commonwealth bantamweight and IBO junior featherweight belts.

His bout against Fuzile was his 34th, while Fuzile’s stoppage of Klassen was his seventh and his 12th victory.

Sadly, left-handed Fuzile from Duncan Village did not live up to expectations, losing in his first attempt to win a world title, the IBF junior lightweight belt, to Kenichi Ogawa at Madison Square Garden, New York, on November 27, 2021.

He is starting all over again under trainer Phumzile Mathyila in Johannesburg.

Mathyila, from Mdantsane near KuGompo City, is the bronze medalist in the flyweight division from the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur.

Nicknamed “Sweet Chocolate”, Mathila also competed in the junior flyweight division at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Before teaming up with Mathyila, Fuzile was linked to Zolani “Last Born” Tete, former three-weight world champ from Mdantsane.

Tete was on the verge of making a comeback as a fighter after finishing his four-year ban for doping. He was shot and killed on August 21.

Tete’s manager, Mlandeli Tengimfene, took Fuzile to Mathyila, and they are utilising the productive HotBox Gym of accomplished trainer-cum-manager Colin “Nomakanjani” Nathan.

Fuzile and Mathyila are yet to team up for a boxing match together.