As a result of Covid-19 and incompetence, SA suffered its worst year of professional boxing in nearly half a century.
Kevin Lerena was the only South African to engage in world title action this year when he stopped Firat Arslan in the sixth round in Germany in February.
IBF flyweight king Moruti Mthalane would have added to that had his defence scheduled for last Sunday not collapsed because of the promoter's lack of funds.
So the 16 minutes and 13 seconds in which Lerena beat up on Arslan is the sum total of SA world title action. That's the least time in a world title ring by SA boxers since 1977, which remains the last blank year on the country's fistic calendar.
Until the 1970s, world title action had been limited and haphazard, though 1968 officially delivered the fewest minutes fought, with Willie Ludick getting stopped in the fifth round by world welterweight champion Curtis Cokes in Dallas.
For every year from 1973 on, local fans have had a fighter to cheer on in world title contests, except for 1977.
The bouts were frequently intertwined with history, starting with Arnold Taylor's come-from-behind victory over WBA bantamweight champion Romeo Anaya in November 1973, which became one of world boxing's most famous knockouts.
A month later, Pierre Fourie challenged world light-heavyweight king Bob Foster, the first interracial fight in apartheid SA.
In 1978, Norman "Pangaman" Sekgapane became SA's first black boxer to challenge for a world title, followed the next year by Nkosana "Happy Boy" Mgxaji.
In 1980, Peter "Terror" Mathebula became SA's first black world champion, and since Welcome Ncita and Dingaan Thobela donned their crowns a decade later, SA boxing has quickly reflected the demographics of the nation.
SA boxers have flown high on talent and spirit over the years, but 2020 has underlined the importance of opportunities.
The first man set to get action next year is US-based Dee-Jay Kriel, the former IBF strawweight champion who's moving up a division to challenge Felix Alvarado for the IBF junior-flyweight crown in Dallas on January 2.
Mthalane, who turns 39 in June, cannot be more than one fight away from what should be a career-defining bout, preferably a unification contest.
The three other pretenders to the world flyweight mantle are all younger, and two of them are unbeaten. The WBO's Junto Nakatani of Japan is just 22 years old; Mexico's WBC kingpin, Julio Cesar Martinez, is 25 and Artem Dalakian of Ukraine, the WBO champion, is 33.
None of them match Mthalane's experience of 39 wins and two defeats. Age, however, is not going to be on his side forever.
Former world champions Zolani Tete and Hekkie Budler are still in the wings.
And Johannesburg-based stablemates Azinga Fuzile and Lerato Dlamini are both in the mix for world title action too.
Dlamini is in line for the WBC featherweight strap and Fuzile the IBF junior-lightweight belt that has been previously held by compatriots Brian Mitchell, Cassius Baloyi, Malcolm Klassen and Mzonke Fana.
Lerena has options at cruiserweight and in the WBC's newly created bridgerweight class.
If most of these chances materialise next year, SA fight fans are in for a treat.
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