Joburg’s Ricardo Malajika Wins World Title in Tokyo

After fighting his first 19 professional bouts at Emperors Palace, the “Magic Man” travelled to Japan and claimed the WBC super flyweight crown.

Ricardo “Magic Man” Malajika’s first professional fight away from Emperors Palace ended with a world title in Tokyo.

The Joburg South boxer defeated Japan’s Tomoya Tsuboi by split decision at Toyota Arena Tokyo on 27 September 2026, winning the vacant WBC super flyweight belt. Two judges scored the fight for Malajika, while the third backed Tsuboi.

A big step beyond familiar surroundings

Before the trip, all 19 of Malajika’s professional bouts had taken place at Emperors Palace in Kempton Park. Tokyo brought a different arena, an overseas assignment and an opponent competing in his home country.

Speaking to Southern Courier before the fight, Malajika acknowledged the pressure without shying away.

“As a fighter, you’ve got to feel and enjoy every moment of pressure,” he said.

How the fight was won

Tsuboi, a former amateur world champion, challenged Malajika strongly in the opening rounds. The South African worked his way into the contest, with TimesLIVE reporting that he gained control in the second half.

After 12 rounds, the scorecards read:

• 116–112 to Malajika

• 115–113 to Malajika

• 115–113 to Tsuboi

That is a split decision: two judges select one boxer as the winner, and the third selects the other as the winner. The victory took Malajika’s professional record to 18 wins and two defeats.

A meaningful date for his team

The fight fell exactly 40 years after Malajika’s manager, Brian Mitchell, won his first world title at Sun City on 27 September 1986.

Southern Courier highlighted that anniversary ahead of the bout. Malajika’s victory has now given the team another championship moment to associate with the date.

The Bottom Line

Malajika took the career he had built at Emperors Palace into unfamiliar territory and won. For Joburg boxing supporters, a WBC world champion’s next chapter is now in view.