Jake Matlala
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Jacob "Baby Jake" Matlala (1 August 1962 – 7 December 2013) was a South African boxer. He was a world champion in two weight classes, having held the
World Boxing Organization The World Boxing Organization (WBO) is an organization which sanctions professional boxing bouts. It is recognized by the International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF) as one of the four major world championship groups, alongside the World Boxing ...
(WBO)
flyweight Flyweight is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Flyweight is a class in boxing which includes fighters weighing up to and including 51 kg (112 lb) for a title fight. Professional boxing The flyweight division was the last of boxin ...
title from 1993 to 1995, the WBO light-flyweight in 1995 to 1997. In 2004, Matlala was voted #72 in the " 100 Greatest South Africans" poll organized by
SABC The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) is the public broadcaster in South Africa, and provides 19 radio stations (Amplitude modulation, AM/Frequency modulation, FM) as well as 6 television broadcasts and 3 OTT Services to the general ...
.


Death

Jacob Matlala died on 7 December 2013, at the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital.


Professional boxing record


Trivia

At a height of 1.47 meters, or 4-foot-10, Matlala was the shortest boxing world champion ever. With a total of 68 fights (53 wins and 2 draws), he ended his career with 4 world championships. He presented his WBU belt to
Nelson Mandela Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela ( , ; born Rolihlahla Mandela; 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African Internal resistance to apartheid, anti-apartheid activist and politician who served as the first president of South Africa f ...
after his fight to Juan Herrera.Morgan, Brad 'Baby Jake': small boxer, big heart
. southafrica.info. Retrieved 7 December 2013.


See also

* List of flyweight boxing champions * List of light-flyweight boxing champions


References


External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Matlala, Jacob 1962 births 2013 deaths People from Meadowlands, Gauteng Flyweight boxers World flyweight boxing champions Light-flyweight boxers World light-flyweight boxing champions World Boxing Organization champions Burials at Westpark Cemetery South African male boxers 20th-century South African sportsmen Boxers from Gauteng