On a card in South Africa loaded with local fighters, headlined by a fight between Kevin Lerena and Serhiy Redchenko for the WBC bridgerweight title, the local fighters delivered for the home crowd at SunBet Arena in Pretoria.

In the co-main event, junior welterweight Tulani Mbenge scored an emphatic stoppage of Emmanuel Mungandjela. After an intense two rounds, in the third, Mbenge suddenly landed a vicious counter left hook that dropped Mungandjela hard after a split-second delay. He visibly wobbled as he rose, sagging back into the ropes, inviting the referee to stop the fight. Though Mungandjela protested, the stoppage was appropriate; he looked in no condition to continue. Mbenge moves to 22-2 (16 KOs) and Mungandjela falls to 20-5 (9 KOs). At 37 years old and having been stopped for the first time, he may want to hang up the gloves.

Thabiso Mchunu, a relevant cruiserweight in previous years and a 2016 victim of Oleksandr Usyk, defeated Amador Kalonji by eight-round split decision. It was a low-action fight that featured as much feet-tangling as high-quality exchanging (“look at it,” the frustrated referee told the fighters when Mchunu laid his foot over the length of Kalonji’s in the second round). Mchunu’s body attack was enough for him to win rounds, but just barely, and the grey frosting in his hair was harder and harder to ignore as the fight wore on over the scheduled eight rounds. Mchunu, 37, is now 24-8 (13 KOs). Kalonji falls to 7-2 (3 KOs). Scores served as a small indictment of either the judges or the boxing scoring system, such was their disparity: 78-74 for Mchunu, 78-74 Kalonji, and 79-78 Mchunu.

In comfortably the strangest fight of the night, heavyweight Chris Thompson defeated Mussa Ajibu by third round no-mas. Ajibu, 39 years old and now 31-22 (25 KOs), had already lost to Thompson in 2021. He had plenty of opportunities to quit earlier, following multiple knockdowns, point deductions, grapples, and a seemingly injured arm or shoulder, but insisted that he come out for the third round only to shake his head at his corner midway through. Thompson, who dwarfed Ajibu in the ring, moved to 15-6-1 (8 KOs).

Super middleweight Leo Careri scored a first-round stoppage in his pro debut over Niclas Nzengu, 2-2 (1 KO). Carreri, 18, quickly landed a left hand that sent Nzengu careening sideways into the ropes and to the canvas. Nzengu — half-brother of Martin Bakole, the onetime boogeyman of the heavyweight division — landed some return fire, but was on rubbery legs from the first shot and his punches didn’t do the same damage in return. Referee Toto Shweni waved off the bout at 1:48 of the first round. The broadcast informed viewers via graphic that Careri’s role model is Jesus Christ; Careri celebrated winning the blatant mismatch by standing on the ropes and shouting “Let’s go!” to his home crowd. He then attempted to commiserate with a skeptical-looking Nzengu.

A super middleweight fight scheduled for four rounds was a welcome meeting without an obvious favorite between two professional boxing debutants — and two 22-year-olds, Gary Van Staden and Seth Van Aswegen. The similarities continued as the lights shone on the fighters: both of their backs were distractingly pockmarked with acne. Though the fight was competitive and even in terms of attempted offense, Van Staden threw the cleaner punches, more visibly snapping Van Aswegen’s head back. Van Staden broke through in the fourth round, battering Van Aswegen into acceptable stoppage territory multiple times. He settled for a unanimous decision by scores of 40-36 and 39-37, twice.

In the opening bout on the card, a bantamweight matchup scheduled for six rounds, 21-year-old prospect Tiisetso Matikinca finished off Mbulelo Gubula in two. In the second round, Matikinca, 7-0 (5 KOs) felled the 4-5 Gubula with a clubbing left to the midsection followed by a right to the temple as his opponent collapsed into a pained heap. The referee waved off the bout at 1:53 of the second round with Gubula still wincing from the body shot. Minutes later, he was hugging and congratulating the victorious Matikinca, looking so happy that you’d think he had scored the upset.