It is unusual to hear a promoter singing praises of a boxer who defeated his charge in a boxing match.

Sandile Vilakazi of Syathaba Boxing Promotion heaped praises on Lwando Mgabi who stopped his boxer, Sechaba Zuma, in the fifth round of their 12-round match in the Estcourt Town Hall, KwaZulu-Natal, on Saturday evening.

The fight, which headlined Hle-Jobe Boxing Promotion, was for the SA junior-bantamweight title, and 23-year-old Mgabi from the Western Cape was the champion.

But Mgabi failed to make the required weight limit of 52,16kg at the official weigh-in on Friday.

It is unclear whether Boxing SA provincial manager in KZN, Mlungisi Dube, gave Mgabi the two-hour grace to shed the extra weight, as per regulations. Mgabi, however, was stripped of the title, which became vacant.

The fight went ahead but only Zuma was contesting it because he made the required weight limit. But Mgabi went to win the fight via stoppage, after a display Vilakazi described as top drawer boxing. The title, however, remains vacant.

The good thing for Mgabi is that he retained his unblemished record of eight wins. His short-route win was his third while Zuma suffered his third loss, his second stoppage, in eight fights.

Interestingly, Zuma had predicted to win the fight by a stoppage within five rounds.

"It is called levels in boxing," said Vilakazi.

"Mgabi outclassed our boy from round one until referee Erick Khoza stopped the fight in round five. There are no excuses. Mgabi is such a wonderful boxer and it is exciting to see that we have such good boxers; he reminds of Zolani "Last Born" Tete of yesteryear."

Mgabi's trainer, Siyabonga Mafika, said: "It was not difficult at all. It went according to how we planned it. We knew he would come at us and bombard us with power. So, our game plan was to use our height and reach advantage, keep him at the distance with a jab and not mix it with him.

"We had planned to test him in the later rounds – eight, nine and 10 – because he would have lost power, but we did not even reach those rounds. It was an easy fight for us."

Regarding Mgabi's failure to make the weight limit; he said: "I was shocked when Mgabi did not make the limit. We were at 52kg on Tuesday and full of power. We achieved that under those rainy conditions in the Western Cape."

Mafika also rejected the idea of the 23-year-old former champ moving up weight divisions.

Earlier on the day, Bilal “Remember the Name” Johnson continued where he left off at the same hall by beating Njabulo Bhekiswayo into submission in round one.

That was Johnson's fourth knockout win in four fights. He displayed proficiency in March in his third match at the Town Hall where the former SA welterweight amateur champion from Durban stopped Khehla Dlaminin in the third round.

Their four-round schedule bout formed part of the 10-card bill – a development tournament – that was staged by promoter Hlula Dladla whose wife, Hlengiwe Dladla, promoted Saturday afternoon's tournament.

Johnson is trained by his father Dan “Prime” Chisholns, a naturalised South African from America.