Nelson Mandela's Favourite Fighter Dies

Monday, December 09, 2013 No Comments

One of Nelson Mandela's favourite sportsmen has died just two days after the former South African leader.
Jacob 'Baby Jake' Matlala, a four-time flyweight and junior flyweight world champion, passed away on Saturday (07Dec13), aged 51.
Mandela attended the fighter's last match in 2002 and the boxer gave his superfan one of his belts.
Announcing the sad news via Twitter.com, Matlala's former promoter, Rodney Berman, writes, "Another great fighter has died... Go well little man, you'll be missed."
Civil rights icon and former South African President Mandela died last Thursday (05Dec13).