Mchunu and Makabu to clash down south
CRAIGAVON – AS the world recovers from the big Floyd 'Money' Mayweather versus Manny 'Pacman' Pacquiao fight, South Africans can refocus their attention to a fight much closer to home.
Kwa-Zulu Natal-born Thabiso ‘The Rock’ Mchunu will take on Ilunga ‘Junior’ Makabu from the Democratic Republic of Congo for the World Boxing Council (WBC) cruiserweight final title eliminator at the International Convention Centre in Durban on 16 May. The fight was ordered by the WBC’s championship committee who also revealed that the winner would earn the right to challenge the current cruiserweight champion Grigory ‘Pretty Boy’ Drozd.
Mchunu is trained by Sean Smith of Smith’s Boxing Gym in Fourways. He stepped into the boxing scene in 2007 and has since won 17 of his 18 fights, with 11 of them coming by way of a knock-out. He holds the South African World Boxing Association Pan African and African Boxing Union belts. His nickname, The Rock, is a perfect description of his demeanour. This mountain-like mass of muscle also holds the North American Boxing Federation Belt which he won after beating New York-based Nigerian Olanrewaju Durodola in the US last year.
His opponent, Makabu, is rated number three in the cruiserweight division, just a level lower than Mchunu who is ranked second. Makabu improved his knockout ratio to 17 of 18 wins recently when he beat Tamas Bajzath of Hungary in the third round in Luxemburg. He is in possession of a mean left hook, one that he will be hoping to catch Mchunu with if he is to have a shot at dropping the South African.
Ndaba Mandela, who was present when Smith’s Boxing Gym opened its doors to media and the public to watch Mchunu prepare for next week’s fight, said it goes without saying that Mchunu is one of the best the country has ever produced. He said Mchunu will be a great instalment to keeping boxing relevant in South Africa. “People like Mchunu will take the sport of boxing to where it used to be,” he said. Mandela is one of the partners of Showpony Promotions, a company that promotes Mchunu. “For us this is something special and we can’t wait for next week Saturday,” he said.
If Mchunu wins this bout, his name will go down in history as the third South African to ever challenge for the WBC cruiserweight belt.
The fight will broadcast live on Supersport and tickets will be made available at the door of the ICC on the day.
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