Moruti Mthalane retires: A champion forever

“He’s an absolute blessing to have worked with. The ultimate professional.” - Moruti Mthalane manager Mike Altamura

Moruti “Babyface” Mthalane (40-3-0, 26 KO’s) manager Mike Altamura recently commented on his fighter’s retirement. South African legend, Mthalane, has decided at age 40, after 21+ years in the game, that it is time to move on to the next phase of his life. 

Altamura recently took to social media, 

“Whenever in a group, you’ll never know he’s the superstar. Such is his humility. A man who says from the spotlight but nevertheless possesses an uplifting aura. And although only 160 cm, he’s stood tall as a giant of the squared circle for 21 years. He has traveled the world and proudly represented the flag of his nation. A 13-year unbeaten stretch included 13 world title victories, dazzling audiences in seven countries. A true throwback warrior. And though father time may be imminent, rest assured, your legacy as one of Africa’s finest pugilists is firmly cemented. It’s always an honor standing by your side, Babyface. A classier, heartfelt person I shall never encounter”. 

This is not a nostalgic look back, through rose-colored glasses, for Altamura now that Mthalane has finished his career. I can personally attest that, over the years, each time I spoke to Altamura about Mthalane, he could never say enough good things about his fighter and raved about what an absolute honor it was to be associated with this champion.

Mthalane turned professional in December 2000 and would remain undefeated in his first 14 bouts. In September of 2004, he dropped his first fight in a regional, WBC International, and South African flyweight title shot. 

He would then bang off nine straight wins earning a title shot against undefeated, future star Nonito Donaire for the IBF/IBO world flyweight title in November of 2008. While he would get stopped in 6 rounds, he gave a good account of himself and showed he could compete with boxing’s best. After a win five months later, he earned another shot at the IBF flyweight title in November 2009. He would beat Julio Caesar Miranda over 12 rounds and capture his first world title.

Four world title defenses would take him into September of 2012 before he captured the IBO world title in 2014. He defended his title three times. 

In the fall of 2017, he again won the IBF world flyweight title and defended it three times before dropping a decision to undefeated British star Sunny Edwards. Then, after taking 18 months off, he came back recently to capture a 10-rounds points win at home in his beloved South Africa. 

The classy champion then decided to walk away from the game, which he had dominated with class and pride, with a victory. 

MaxBoxing recently caught up with Australia-based Altamura to get his thoughts on Mthalane as he reflected on his career. It was clear that Altamura will look back with nothing but fond memories of working with Mthalane. 

“It was an absolute pleasure to manage him. He’s one of those fighters that maintains conditioning year-round and he was always an absolute pleasure to work with”, said Altamura. “Whether it was Colin Nathan as his trainer, or myself and Sean Gibbons to advise. He’s an absolute blessing to have worked with, the ultimate professional. Always in condition, always prepared, and always in striking distance of his fighting weight. He never left any stone unturned in any preparation”.

And while Altamura had a lot of respect for his fighter outside of the ring, he was quick to point out how much he respected the mental toughness he maintained in the squared circle. 

“Physically, he was an absolute powerhouse, but when you think about it, I don’t think you can look at many fighters in history, 21+ career, every fight at flyweight, a couple of bouts out of the weight but maintained his weight his entire career. That speaks to his discipline, mental strength, and toughness that he maintained in and out of the ring”.  

Asked to recall a favorite memory, it was hard for Altamura. 

However, he did have one that came to mind. 

“One final great memory I must share is the Masahiro Sakamoto title defense in 2018, the IBF flyweight title. We went to dinner after the fight then we realized that Moruti had left his belt downstairs. This is New Year’s Eve remember? We get back to his room about 9:00 I think, anyway before 10 PM, on New Year’s Eve, and he is in bed asleep. I think that epitomizes his longevity and the mindset of a champion. This was just another’s days work. Didn’t matter that it was New Year’s Eve, he took care of business, face timed his wife, spoke to the family, and then went straight to bed. The ultimate professional”.   

Moruti Mthalane by the numbers

Fights – 43

Knockouts – 26

Years active – 21 years, 10 months

Years at flyweight – 21 years, 10 months

Passport Stamps – 7 (South Africa, USA, Italy, Panama, Japan, Pakistan, UK)

Wins – 40

Title fights – 23

IBF world title fight victories – 10

IBO world title fight victories - 4 

Moruti Mthalane is no longer boxing. But he will always be a champion. Class and dignity personified in and out of the ring and a credit to both his country and the sport of boxing. Congratulations, and thank you for an outstanding career. Enjoy your retirement Moruti, you have earned it.