Boxer

A South African boxer is facing a fight to recover from a head injury. Photo: Google images

RETURNED AFTER 27 YEARS! Ditau Molefyane receives his WBF belt

Former world boxing champion Ditau Molefyane has finally received his WBF Lightweight belt which he ‘lost’ in 1994.

Boxer

A South African boxer is facing a fight to recover from a head injury. Photo: Google images

Former world boxing champion Ditau Molefyane has finally received his WBF Lightweight belt which he ‘lost’ in 1994.

Known as ‘Diarora’ during his boxing days, Molefyane won the World Boxing Federation (WBF) belt in 1993, beating Ricky Rayner in March 1993.

However, he would ‘lose’ it the following year after being dethroned by Mexican Aaron Zarate in Durban.

Molefyane wore his belt going into the ring for the bout with Zarate, and for presentation purposes, the Edenvale-born boxer gave the Mexican his belt.

The belt was never at stake as it belonged to Molefyane, but that was the last time the boxer saw it.

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In 2020, WBF president Howard Goldberg said a payment of $700 was needed to recover Molefyane’s WBF belt.

He further added, at the time, that the promoter of the fight between Molefyane and Zarate was responsible for purchasing the second belt, admitting that ‘Diarora’ wasn’t supposed to lose WBF belt.

Now, Molefyane is a happy man after 27 years of trying to get his WBF belt back.

Molefyane retired from professional boxing in 1995.

It is unclear how much Molefyane had to folk out either from his pocket or through the sponsors but Gauteng MEC for Education Panyaza Lefusi was excited to share the news on his Twitter account on Wednesday.