(April 9, 2022) – In what was a genuine grudge-match between South Africans, Thato Bonokoane retained his World Boxing Federation (WBF) Intercontinental Super Bantamweight title against Innocent Mantengu on Friday April 8 in Middleburg, Mpumalanga province.
Promoted by J4Joy Promotions, the slick and elusive Bonokoane controlled former South African, IBF Africa and WBA Pan Africa champion Mantengu, scoring a knockdown in the fourth round, before registering a well-deserved unanimous decision.
Mantengu fought well, though, as he came back strong after the knock-down, and he even managed to rock Bonokoane with a vicious left hook in the twelfth round, but the champion, while clearly in trouble, managed to survive the scare.
Judges David Van Niewenhuizen, Simon Mokadi and Phumeza Zinakile scored the fight for Bonokoane 116-111, 117-110 and 115-112 respectively.
Bonokoane, who won the title last October and was making his maiden title-defense, improved his professional record to 12-5-3 (8), while Mantengu drops to 14-7-1 (5).