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When one door closes, another one opens, boxing manager Brian Mitchell said yesterday. He was reacting philosophically to the fact that his charge, Siyakholwa “One Way” Kuse’s confirmed first defence of his WBC world minimum weight belt against unbeaten Japanese star Ryusei Matsumoto on September 27, is no longer happening.
Instead, Mitchell said Kuse will defend against DianXing Zhu in China on November 28.
Rated No 6 by the WBC, Zhu, 29, has held the WBC Asia silver junior-flyweight belt and is the reigning WBO global minimum weight (strawweight) champ with 17 wins, 14 by KOs, against one loss.
Kuse, the former SA, ABU and WBC silver champ, has 10 wins, 4 knockouts, and three losses.
“We were worried that Kuse’s fight in Japan was no longer happening, but [Golden Gloves CEO] Rodney Berman moved swiftly and told us that Kuse will now defend against Zhu in China on November 28,” said Mitchell.
“I am bringing my world title back — no matter what.” — Siyakholwa “One Way” Kuse
The fight will be televised live by SuperSport.
Kuse, 23, won the prestigious minimum weight belt from Filipino Melvin “El Gringo” Jerusalem at Emperors Palace on May 16.
The first WBC world champ from Mdantsane said: “I am happy that I will be able to defend it the same year I won it. I must prove to myself that I am a worthy world champion.
“I am bringing my world title back — no matter what.”
Inducted into the Hall of Fame in New York in 2009 for his stellar career, which included 12 successful defences of the WBA junior-lightweight belt, Mitchell said Ricardo “Magic Man” Malajika’s fight in Japan for the vacant WBC junior-bantamweight belt on September 27 is still on.
On that date in 1988, Mitchell won the WBA and The Ring junior-lightweight world titles by a 10th-round stoppage of defending champion Alfredo “Preciso” Layne of Panama at Sun City.
Malajika — the reigning IBO junior-bantamweight champ, who is rated No 2 by the WBC in that weight class — will take on the No 1 contender, Tsuboi “Trickster” Tomoya of Japan.
Tomoya, 30, has three wins, two by stoppages, and a no contest.
He is rated No 1 by the WBO, No 3 by the WBA, No 5 by the IBF, and No 6 by The Ring magazine.
Kuse and Malajika are both trained by Manny Fernandes at the Brian Mitchell Boxing Academy in Edenvale.
“Obviously, we are excited that both our guys will fight on the same card,” said Mitchell, whose first world boxing champion was Namibian Harry “The Terminator” Simon, who won the WBO junior-middleweight belt from Ronald “Winky” Wright of the US at the Carousel Casino in Hammanskraal on August 22 1988.
Sowetan