Simphiwe Khonco: Boxing Career and Notable Fights
Simphiwe Khonco is a South African minimumweight who held the International Boxing Organization title from 2016 to 2019. He also challenged WBC champion Wanheng Menayothin in October 2019.
Menayothin won the 12-round contest by unanimous decision. Khonco’s IBO title defenses and WBC challenge document his run at world level.
From challenger to IBO champion
Before winning the IBO belt, Khonco faced fellow South African Hekkie Budler at Emperors Palace on September 19, 2015. Budler retained his WBA and IBO minimumweight titles by unanimous decision, with scores of 117–111, 115–113 and 116–112. The WBA’s report described Khonco landing a right hook in round two that opened a cut near Budler’s left eye.
Khonco returned to Emperors Palace in June 2016 and defeated Siyabonga Siyo over 12 rounds to win the vacant IBO championship. He subsequently defended it against Nkosinathi Joyi, Lito Dante and Toto Landero, winning each contest by unanimous decision.
Later championship contests
A December 2018 meeting with Joey Canoy ended as a no contest after an accidental clash of heads left Khonco cut and unable to continue. That result was neither a knockout victory nor a decision defeat, and belongs separately in his record.
His October 25, 2019, WBC challenge against Menayothin took place in Chonburi, Thailand. It followed his IBO reign rather than adding a WBC championship to it. Keeping the sanctioning bodies and dates clear helps distinguish Khonco’s successful title run from the separate championship opportunities he contested abroad and at home.
Further career results
The Budler fight remained competitive despite the unanimous result. After the early cut, Khonco increased his pressure and forced the champion to work through the injury. Budler improved as the rounds progressed, hurting Khonco in the seventh and securing all three judges’ cards. That performance provides a specific example of Khonco’s pressure against an established champion, before he went on to win the vacant IBO title.
Sources
- WBA: Budler–Khonco fight report
- Boxing247: Menayothin decisions Khonco
- Sowetan: Khonco before the world-title challenge
- BoxRec: Simphiwe Khonco record
