Pro Career
At the age of ten Matlala started going to the gymnasium with his father who was an aspiring boxer. He turned professional in 1979, and began his boxing career on 2 February 1980 with a fourth-round victory over Fraser Plaatjie in Port Elizabeth under the guidance of Theo Mthembu.
It only took him four contests to become South African Junior Flyweight Champion. Vuyani Nene later dethroned him for the title. The pint-sized boxer fought Davie McCauley for the International Boxing Federation (IBF) flyweight title in Belfast, Northern Ireland and failed in his attempt, suffering a 10th round knockout. He finally succeeded when he defeated Pat Clinton in his hometown Glasgow for the World Boxing Organisation (WBO) flyweight title. He surrendered his title to Alberto Jiminez, who stopped him in the 10th round in Hammanskraal.
On 19 July 1997 against all odds, Matlala defeated Michael Carbajal in Las Vegas, USA for the International Boxing Association (IBA) flyweight title. He later relinquished it to challenge Hawk Makepula for the vacant WBO junior flyweight title. The fight ended in disappointment for Matlala, who lost.
For the second time in his career he suffered two defeats in succession when his former sparring partner, Peter Culshaw defeated him on points for the World Boxing Union (WBU) flyweight title. In February 1999 Matlala claimed the vacant WBU flyweight title.
Read more about this topic: Jacob Matlala
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