Zim fighter who ended Schultz’s career returns

INLSA

African Ring in association with Golden Gloves and Emperors Palace presents 'Pride and Honour'. Ryno Liebenberg and Tineyi Maridzo (Zimbabwean who beat Mickey Schultz twice) square up for the media after the press briefing they will be fighting in the Super Middleweight 76.2kg division, bout 7 scheduled for 9th July at Emperors Palace. Picture: Antoine de Ras, 21/06/2012

Mesuli Zifo

THE man who effectively ended the boxing career of Michael Schultz is returning to the country.

Zimbabwean Tineyi Maridzo will be hoping to put the brakes on another local fighter’s career in an African Ring Promotion tournament at Emperors Palace on July 7.

Maridzo first came to the country in November 2009 to turn Schultz’s boxing world upside down when he blasted him in the fourth round during their super middleweight clash at Wembley Arena in Johannesburg.

Schultz, who turned state witness in Brett Kebble’s murder case, had not lost in 16 bouts before his controversial boxing career was brought to a halt by the unheralded Zimbabwean.

However, Schultz was still not convinced that Maridzo had beaten him fair and square, arguing that he was floored by a sucker punch and insisted that he wanted a rematch.

But Maridzo proved that his first victory was no fluke when he bombed out Schultz in the fourth round of their July 2010 rematch to effectively condemn Schultz to retirement.

Next month Maridzo, who has not fought since his stunning victory over Schultz, will be facing another unbeaten local star, Ryno Liebenberg, in a light-heavyweight clash headlining a Box and Dine show at Emperors Palace.

Liebenberg was originally scheduled to face Charles Oosthuizen but Thomas Oosthuizen’s brother pulled out because of flu.

However, Maridzo could not have been a better replacement in what promises to be a big-punching war of attrition, as Liebenberg packs dynamite in his fists.

Unbeaten in seven bouts with five knockouts Liebenberg, who trains out of Colin Nathan’s gymnasium, has proved that he can take bombs as much as he can dish them out.

He was getting battered from pillar to post by Tshepang Mohale for six rounds until he produced a punch out of nowhere to end the fight with a dramatic knockout.

Liebenberg seems to have refined his boxing technique since, judging by his points decisions in his next two bouts, but there is no denying that he is not shy to engage in a “knock ’em down, drag ’em out” slugfest when the need arises.

Six other bouts featuring Jason Bademan, Ashley Dlamini and other Golden Gloves Promotions (GGP) prospects will be on the menu.