By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Caption: Ricardo Malajika of South Africa, left, punches Tomoya Tsuboi of Japan during the 11th round of their vacant WBC world super flyweight title bout at Toyota Arena Tokyo in Tokyo, Japan, on September 27, 2026. (The Yomiuri Shimbun via AP Images).
South African boxer Ricardo Malajika defeated Tomoya Tsuboi by split decision in Tokyo to win the vacant WBC super flyweight title.
Before flying out of Johannesburg, Malajika predicted that round eight through ten would reveal the true champion. The tide actually turned round earlier.
Tsuboi sustained a cut as early as the first round following an accidental clash of heads. However, that cut didn’t stop him from coming forward to attack Malajika.
Johannesburg born Malajika (28) held on and kept hitting Tsuboi with some nice blows, especially after round six. And he upped his performance in the last three rounds something which helped him in the end.
David Sutherland (115-113) and Nathan Palmer (116-112) both scored it for Malajika, as the South African put a sluggish start behind him to upset the home favorite.
Juan Carlos Pelayo’s 115-113 Tsuboi score was deemed most accurate for many observers.
“The fight was tight, brilliant, and Tsuboi is a very tough fighter,” an emotional Malajika said in the aftermath, the iconic green and gold belt finally draped over his shoulder. “We both showed the crowd blood, sweat, and tears! I have come a long way from when I was seven years old. I owe a lot to boxing, it’s given me so much, and now I am a world champion.”