Jacob Matlala

South African boxer

Jacob "Baby Jake" Matlala (1 August 1962 – 7 December 2013) was a South African boxer and junior flyweight champion from Meadowlands, Johannesburg. He won 4 world championship titles. In 2004, Matlala was voted #72 in the "100 Greatest South Africans" poll organized by SABC.

Death

Jacob Matlala died on 7 December 2013, at the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital.^[2]

The former World Boxing Organisation, World Boxing Union (WBU) and International Boxing Association flyweight world champion had been admitted to hospital on numerous occasions over the past few years with complications related to pneumonia. Johannesburg – Dressed in royal blue and white uniforms and black berets, the New Covenant Church brass band escorted the coffin of boxing legend Jacob "Baby Jake" Matlala into the Rhema Church auditorium.^[3]

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 after his fight to Juan Herrera.^[4]

See also

• List of flyweight boxing champions
• List of light-flyweight boxing champions

References

1. "'Baby' Jake Matlala: World champion in two weight divisions who was". The Independent. 9 December 2013. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
2. (7 December 2013). Baby Jake Matlala dies. sport24.co. Retrieved 7 December 2013.
3. Motumi, Mpiletso (13 December 2013). Boxing giant Baby Jake laid to rest. iol.co. Retrieved 14 December 2013.
4. Morgan, Brad 'Baby Jake': small boxer, big heart Archived 26 April 2016 at the Wayback Machine. southafrica.info. Retrieved 7 December 2013.

External links

Boxing record for Jacob Matlala from BoxRec (registration required)