May 28, 2004
JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA-WBC top ranked Mzonke Fana (22-2, 9 KOs), 129.25, South Africa, earned a 12-round split decision over previously unbeaten #2 contender Randy Suico (21-1, 18 KOs), 129, Philippines, in a WBC eliminator to decide the official challenger, as Fana came off the canvas twice in the second and fourth, showed his remarkable recovery in dominating the fifth through eleventh with his constant jabbing and barely survived a critical moment by Suico’s last surge in the final session on Friday night in Soweto, Johannesburg, South Africa. Scores: Franco Ciminale (Italy) 114-111, Thabu Spampool (South Africa) 115-111, both for Fana, and Bruce McTavish (Philippines) 114-113 for Suico.
The taller and hitting Suico caught Fana with a well-timed right uppercut to have him down in the second. Suico, in the fourth, dropped him again with a right cross followed by a looping left hook. The tide turned dramatically thereafter, as Fana kept on jabbing the Filipino who was too eager to finish his opponent with big shots. The more skillful jabber Fana was in command in the fifth through eleventh rounds except in the ninth, when Suico outpunched the light-punching but durable South African. A climax happened in the 12th and final round, when Suico again caught Fana with vicious shots to have him rubbery-legged with Fana desperately clinching to survive the crisis. Suico, six years his junior at 24, suffered a nasty cut over the left eyebrow in the second, and kept streaming blood for the remainder of the contest. Suico, who arrived in Johannesburg nine days before, confessed, “I had a trouble breathing from middle rounds on probably because of the high altitude, though it wasn’t an excuse.” Fana, a workman styled jabber, will be promised a mandatory shot at the WBC 130-pound belt against Erik Morales within this year. Since both contestants were to keep the regional belt regardless of the result, Fana and Suico will defend the respective regional belts, WBC international and the OPBF ones, after this extravaganza. All the crowd gave a standing oveation to both boxers. It must be one of the strong candidates for Fight of the Year in South Africa.
(5-28-04)