FIGHTING in South Africa is never easy. Filipinos fighting South Africans in their home soil is almost an automatic loss.
Joey Canoy has been to South Africa thrice in the past and knows what needs to be done to walk away with a win.
“I feel that he should not be taken lightly. There’s a reason why they let him fight me. I need to knock him out to ensure a victory,” Canoy told SunStar Cebu.
Canoy takes on Nhlanhla Tyira in a 10-round bout at dawn Saturday, May 22, 2021 at the International Convention Centre in East London.
The fight was supposed to be for the World Boxing Association (WBA) Inter-Continental light flyweight title fight, but it was downgraded to a 10-rounder just a few days before the bout.
The 27-year-old Canoy’s first trip to South Africa was in 2017.
He fought for the vacant International Boxing Organization (IBO) light flyweight belt against Hekkie Budler and lost by seventh round stoppage.
The following year, Canoy challenged IBO minimumweight king Simpiwe Konkco. He dropped Konkco once in the second round, but the fight was stopped two
rounds later and was declared a no contest after the South African suffered a huge gash from an accidental headbutt.
In 2019, Canoy returned to South Africa and fought South African star Nkosinathi Joyi for the vacant IBO minimumweight strap and lost via a lopsided unanimous decision.
In April, Filipinos Christian Araneta and Jerald Paclar lost to their South African opponents by unanimous decision.
In recent years, Edrin Dapudong, Rey Loreto and Jonas Sultan are the only Pinoys that walked away with a win in South Africa. All three pugs knocked out their respective opponents.
Canoy, who’s accompanied only by his trainer Ronerex Dalut, is focused on the task at hand and is optimistic that he’ll get that rare win in South Africa.
“I’m feeling relaxed right now,” he said.
Canoy is 16-4-1 with nine knockouts, while Tyirha is 4-1 with two knockouts. (EKA)