BALOYI MIGHT BECOME SA'S CREDIBLE WORLD CHAMPION

Cassius Baloyi is on the brink of becoming the first South African fighter in six years to win an International Boxing Federation (IBF) title when he battles for the vacant junior lightweight crown against Manuel Medina at Washington in America on Wednesday night.

Since 2000 when East London fighter Mbulelo Botile claimed the IBF featherweight crown from English fighter Paul Ingle in a near-tragicfight, no SA fighter has won a credible world title.

Instead SA fighters opted to go via the less credible IBO route in order to assume world champion status.

Baloyi, who ironically holds the IBO junior lightweight crown, could not bypass the opportunity of becoming a true world champion when the chance to fight for the IBF title presented itself with less than a month's notice.

"This is what I have been praying for in my whole boxing career," said Baloyi who even pulled out of his pre-arranged IBO title defence against Israel Perez last week.

Baloyi has reasons to risk everything to fight for the crown as his opponent is nearing the end his career.

In a career spanning 21 years Medina has seen many battles in his 80 fights and 14 losses.

Baloyi's trainer Nic Durandt appealed to Medina to just hand over the crown to Baloyi because "you have been there and done that."

"We do not want to force him to retire because that might have adverse effect on your life."

A former, two time WBC, three time IBF and WBO world champion, Medina revealed in an American boxing website that he would retire after the fight against Baloyi.

Although at 35-years old, he is still at a perfect fighting age, the fact that he has been fighting as a professional since he was 14 years has made him a veteran by boxing standards.

Baloyi who is four years younger than his Mexican opponent has only been fighting for 12 years, winning the the marginal WBU twice before claiming the IBO crown.

He is planning to retire in five years time.

Should Baloyi win the title big money fights against revered fighters such as Manny Pacquiao, Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales would be a possibility.