Sergio Mendoza body punched his way into title contention.
The talented junior flyweight is now the IBF mandatory challenger following a 3rd round knockout of Mpumelelo Tshabalala. A pair of body shot knockdowns ultimately produced the stoppage in their final elimination bout Saturday evening at Gimnasio Municipal Sergio Maldonado Cota in Mendoza’s hometown of Hermosillo, Mexico.
A battle that should have been more competitive on paper quickly turned into a showcase performance for Mendoza, 27-0 (23 KOs), who has stopped six of his last seven opponents. Tshabalala, 11-2 (5 KOs), already faced an uphill battle in fighting outside of South Africa for the first time and also having been out of the ring since last September.
In Mendoza, the visiting contender faced a buzzsaw.
The beginning of the end came early in round three. Mendoza sized up Tshabalala out of his southpaw stance and connected with a jab to the body. It perfectly set up a looping left hook downstairs by the 25-year-old boxer-puncher, which caused Tshabalala to wince in pain as he fell to the canvas.
Mendoza went right back on the attack once action resumed. Tshabalala never had a chance to escape from the ropes, as he was left open for a wicked left hook to the liver. Mendoza already began the celebration in a neutral corner, jumping up and down in anticipation of the knockout as Tshabalala was ultimately counted out.
The signal to end the contest from the referee prompted Mendoza to mount the corner turnbuckle and salute his adoring hometown fans.
Tshabalala snapped a six-fight win streak as he heads home with his first defeat in more than four years.
Meanwhile, Mendoza instantly becomes a player in the 108lbs division, which is in dire need of star power. With the win, he is now the mandatory challenger to Thailand’s Thanongsak Simsri, 39-1 (34 KOs), who claimed the IBF junior flyweight belt in a 12-round, split decision win over Cristian Araneta on June 19 in Tokyo, Japan.
There is potential for Mendoza to immediately move into a title shot, depending on how soon the IBF mandates Simsri to defend his title. The window of opportunity is rapidly closing for a voluntary defense, as the nine-month period from Simsri’s title win will arrive by next March.
Mendoza is promoted by BXSTRS, who is armed with a TV deal with ESPN Knockout and have been bullish in its efforts to bring major title fights to Mexico. There stands a great chance that not only could he challenge for the belt next, but that he could get another home game from the experience.
