Moruti Mthalane says winning the IBF flyweight crown on Sunday for the second time in his long career was sweeter than his first coronation in 2009. The 35-year-old survived a knockdown in the 11th round to win a unanimous decision over Pakistan’s Muhammad Waseem on the undercard of Manny Pacquiao’s triumphant return in Kuala Lumpur‚ Malaysia. Two judges gave it to the South African with margins of 114-113 and the third a convincing 116-110; Mthalane’s record improved to 36 wins and two losses while Waseem suffered the first loss of his career‚ dropping to 8-1. "[Winning it again] now feels better‚" said Mthalane‚ who was stripped of the belt in 2013 after he refused to defend it in Germany for what would have been a paltry purse. Since then he spent the better part of five years on the sidelines battling to get action. "I didn’t know if I was going to get it back. It shows that in everything in life you have to be patient," he said. Mthalane hit the deck for the second time in his ...
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