Former South Africa welterweight champion dies

One of South Africa’s top welterweight champions, Joseph Tsakani ‘Smokin Joe” Makaringe, passed away on Thursday at the Charlotte Maxeke Hospital in Johannesburg. He was 49 years old.

Born in Giyani on 2 January 1975 Makaringe made his pro debut 14 May 1996 with a second-round technical knockout win over Edward Ramathape.

He won his next 12 fights in style before winning the vacant South African welterweight title on 20 February 2000 with a tenth-round technical knockout win over Virgil Kalakoda.

He suffered his first defeat in his next fight, losing to Christian Bladt in Denmark in a bout for the vacant IBF Intercontinental welterweight title.

Joseph (30-4; 25) made ten successful defences of the South African title, second to Harold Volbrecht, who made 19 defences of the South African welterweight title.

The only losses on Mkaringe's record came against Bladt, Jan Bergman, and in his last two fights against Apaslan Aguzum and Isaac Hlatshwao on 12 May 2007 in a clash for the vacant IBO welterweight title.

On 26 August 2005 in Secunda he won the vacant WBC International welterweight title with an 12th-round technical knockout win over Philip Kotey.

There is no doubt that Makaringe was one of South Africa’s top welterweights and only one of his four losses came inside the distance (Jan Berman (ko 3).