South African champion Asemahle ‘The Predator’ Wellem will soon be forced to move up one division from super-middleweight to light-heavyweight as he battles with weight.
The reigning South African super-middleweight champion is going to engage in two fights, two divisions and in two continents in less than a month between the bouts.
Wellem is scheduled to face off against Russian boxer Artysh Lopsan in a vacant Eurasian Boxing Parliament super-middleweight title contest in Chelyabinsk, Russia, on Saturday, 16 November.
And less than a month later, Wellem will square up against Australian opponent Conor Wallace in a World Boxing Association (WBA) Oceania light-heavyweight title fight at the Fortitude Music Hall in Fortitude Valley, Australia.
“Truth be told, making the weight at super-middleweight is quite a challenge. However, we still have time to make the weight for our November 16 fight,” Wellem’s trainer Phumzile Matyhila revealed.
“We are going to have two fights between now and next month. We will start with the November 16 fight and we will then push on for the December fight.”
On why Wellem, who has been a South African super-middleweight champion since he dethroned Cowin Ray in October 2022, will fight at a new division, Matyhila said: “The organisers wanted us to fight at light-heavyweight and we had no problem with that.”
Wellem is going to face off against Wallace, who was born in Northern Ireland, United Kingdom, on Wednesday, 11 December. – Monwabisi Jimlongo
