Jacob Matlala
Born	Jacob Matlala (1962-08-01)1 August 1962 Meadowlands, Gauteng, South Africa
Died	7 December 2013(2013-12-07) (aged 51) Parktown, Gauteng, South Africa
Nationality	South African
Other names	Baby Jake
Statistics
Weight(s)	Flyweight Light flyweight
Height	4 ft 10 in (147 cm)[1]
Reach	59 in (150 cm)
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	68
Wins	53
Wins by KO	26
Losses	13
Draws	2
No contests	0

Jacob "Baby Jake" Matlala (1 August 1962 – 7 December 2013) was a South African boxer and junior flyweight champion from Meadowlands, Johannesburg. He won 4 world championship titles. In 2004, Matlala was voted #72 in the "100 Greatest South Africans" poll organized by SABC.

Death

Jacob Matlala died on 7 December 2013, at the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital.^[2]

The former World Boxing Organisation, World Boxing Union (WBU) and International Boxing Association flyweight world champion had been admitted to hospital on numerous occasions over the past few years with complications related to pneumonia. Johannesburg – Dressed in royal blue and white uniforms and black berets, the New Covenant Church brass band escorted the coffin of boxing legend Jacob "Baby Jake" Matlala into the Rhema Church auditorium.^[3]

Trivia

At a height of 1.47 meters, or 4-foot-10, Matlala was the shortest boxing world champion ever. With a total of 68 fights (53 wins and 2 draws), he ended his career with 4 world championships. He presented his WBU belt to Nelson Mandela after his fight to Juan Herrera.^[4]