“Baby Jake” Matlala

Four-time world boxing champ

'Baby Jake' Matlala. Photo courtesy iolsport

On August 1, 1962, Jacob Matlala was born in Meadowlands, Johannesburg. South Africa’s boxing great had an ordinary upbringing – his parents encouraged him to be disciplined; he attended school in Soweto; and, at the age of 10, he started going to the gymnasium with his father, who boxed.

He immediately became passionate about pugilism. With his father’s encouragement – and  despite his mother’s reservations about his career choice – the young man turned professional at the age of 17.

Under the management of Theo Mthembu, the enthusiastic newcomer made his boxing debut in Port Elizabeth, where he defeated Fraser Plaatjie after just four rounds. Four fights later, he was crowned the South African Junior Flyweight Champion. At a diminutive 147cm (4ft, 10in), “Baby Jake” was destined to become a boxing giant in a weight division with an upper limit of 50.5kg (112lb).

Between 1986 and 1988, Vuyani Nene would become Matlala’s nemesis, defeating him in four fights. Matlala was also knocked out by Davie McCauley, derailing his plans to win the International Boxing Federation (IBF) flyweight title in Ireland. He did, however, defeat Pat Clinton in Glasgow, taking the World Boxing Organisation (WBO) flyweight title, but could not hold on it – Alberto Jiminez beat him when he returned to South Africa.

On July 19, 1997, Matlala proved that dynamite comes in small packages when he defeated Michael Carbajal in Las Vegas, bringing home the International Boxing Association (IBA) flyweight title, but was forced to relinquish it when he challenged Hawk Makepula for the WBO junior flyweight title. For the second time in his career, he was defeated by Makepula and then by Peter Culshaw, who claimed the World Boxing Union (WBU) flyweight title. In February 1999, Matlala landed the vacant WBO flyweight title.

Matlala’s boxing career came to a triumphal close with success against Colombian Juan Herrera at Carnival City in Brakpan, where he won the WBU junior flyweight title and, in the process, became the only South African boxer to have won four world titles. Nelson Mandela and US actor Will Smith supported him at the ringside, and he presented Madiba with his WBU belt.

Matlala, who holds a BCom degree from the University of South Africa, is a businessman and motivational speaker who has raised money for several worthy causes. Subsequent to his retirement from professional boxing, he remained active in the ring,  discovering and developing boxing talent in the township. More recently, he has struggled with ill health.

“Baby Jake” lives in Winchester Hills, south of Johannesburg, with his wife and two children.