Ricardo "The Magic Man" Malajica has won the WBC world championship title in super lightweight by securing a technical decision victory over local favorite Tomoe Tsuboi.
After arriving in South Africa with the prestigious WBC Green and Gold belt, Ricardo Malajica is not looking back at Tokyo; his focus is now on the goal written on his back.
The victory over Japanese fighter Tomoe Tsuboi at the Toyota arena was achieved by split decision. The 28-year-old boxer from Johannesburg has officially transitioned from a local contender to a global player.
For years, critics claimed that Malajica was a product of the domestic scene, succeeding only within the familiar confines of the Imperial Palace in Kensington Park. However, by refuting these doubts on foreign soil, Malajica stated that he does not intend to chase anyone in the 115-pound division.
The new WBC super lightweight champion stated: "Since I am now the biggest fish, I cannot name names. They should want me, not the other way around. The Magic Man has changed the dynamic. I have a title that everyone wants."
Commenting on the long history of his record, Malajica emphasized that his victory was motivated by faith and personal drive, rather than a desire to retaliate against critics. He noted: "I always praise God. Maybe I am writing my own story, but God guides me in everything."
He added that he chose sports out of love for it and believes his main task was to prove something to himself, as the dream of the title was his objective. "The only challenge I could have had was myself. I have everything. I have a wonderful wife and children, I have a great team, I have brothers. What more could I ask for?"
This victory demonstrated the superior professional intelligence of the Magic Man. While Tsuboi brought elite amateur boxing experience and home crowd support, Malajica utilized his 19 professional fights to take the fast-rising Japanese athlete into deeper waters.
Malajica felt more confident as the fight progressed, relying on his experience to wear down the less experienced opponent. He explained: "Tsuboi only had four fights, and I had 19, so all I did to Tsuboi was drag him into deep water, move it into the later rounds because I have more experience—championship rounds. That's where I moved him, and that's where I dealt more damage because I knew he lacked experience."
The victory also held historical parallels. With the support of sports legend Brian Mitchell, Malajica's triumph occurred on September 27th—exactly 40 years after Mitchell won his first world title in San City in 1986.
Malajica recalled Mitchell's words: "Uncle Brian said you only have one fight, one night, and I don't want you to have excuses or say that I should have done more of this. We don't want excuses, we have to win. You have to be the reason he justifies it. Let him say, 'I should have done more of this' or 'I should have trained more.'"
He continued: "And then we did it, and he said, 'I told you, my boy! This is what I wanted. We didn't have excuses, we came in shape, we came to win, and that's the essence of it.' He was excited. I have a 14-time world champion who guided me throughout my career. I am one of the lucky ones."
Now holding the WBC belt alongside his IBO title, Malajica aims to continue testing himself abroad instead of staying comfortable at home. "I am looking for more unification bouts, but that is a decision for my team," Malajica reported. "I think I've fought enough on my home ground, so let me go out there, explore more, and meet all the cool guys. That's what boxing is about."