Jacob Matlala, SA junior flyweight, wins the WBO world champion title

Jacob "Baby Jake" Matlala was born on 8 January 1962 in Soweto, Johannesburg. He began his professional boxing career in 1980. Matlala’s first crack at a world title, the IBF flyweight title, in September 1991 was against Dave McCauley in which he suffered a 10th round knockout. Two years later, in May 1993, he tried again, this time against Pat Clinton. In front of Clinton’s home ground in Glasgow, Matala overwhelmed him to claim his first WBO title on an eighth-round technical knockout. On 18 November 1995 Matlala, who was then a junior flyweight, went up against Paul Weir in Glasgow for the WBO Junior Flyweight title. He defeated Weir on a technical decision in five rounds. He defended and retained the title against Weir in Liverpool the following year. Matlala was the shortest professional boxer in the world. His height, however, never seemed to hinder his perfomance. He is also the only South African boxer to hold four World Champion titles. He retired in 2002. He won his farewell fight against British boxer Mickey Cantwell, where former President Nelson Mandela and actor Will Smith were among the spectators.