Today in history: Baby Jake dies
Matlala was so passionate about boxing that he decided to turn professional in 1979 and became the shortest boxing world champion ever
Jacob Baby Jake Matlala was born in 1962 in Meadowlands, Johannesburg and started boxing at the age of 10 while going to the gymnasium with his father who was an aspiring boxer.
Matlala was so passionate about boxing that he decided to turn professional in 1979 and became the shortest boxing world champion ever.
On 19 July 1997 against all odds, Matlala defeated Michael Carbajal in Las Vegas, USA for the International Boxing Association (IBA) flyweight title.
Matlala ended his 30-year boxing career at Carnival City, Brakpan by stopping Colombian Juan Herrera for the WBU junior flyweight title in the seventh round.
In so doing Matlala became the only South African boxer to have won four world titles in a career of 27 stoppages, 54 wins, 12 losses and two draws.
The ultimate honour bestowed on the boxer was the arrival of Nelson Mandela and American actor Will Smith at the ringside mid-way through his farewell fight.
After the fight Matlala was so overwhelmed that he decided to present his WBU belt to Mandela.
Matlala died in 7 December 2013 at the age of 51 and is survived by his wife Mapule, and their two children.
Information sourced from: South African History Online.
