Golden Gloves publicist Brian Mitchell has revealed that he pushed for South African boxers to be rated high in the World Boxing Council (WBC) ratings.
Mitchell, who is at the 62nd WBC convention in the German city of Hamburg, has revealed that he made presentations on behalf of Siyakholwa Kuse, Shervantaigh Koopman, Ricardo Malajika and Beaven Sibanda.
Kuse from Mdantsane is the reigning WBC Silver minimumweight champion following his victory over Sibanda at the Emperor’s Palace in Kempton Park, Ekurhuleni, last Friday.
“The WBC ratings committee met on Monday night and I made presentations for four of our boxers. I told the ratings committee that Kuse has just won the WBC Silver belt and I pleaded with them to elevate him to mandatory challenger,” Mitchell said.
“I spoke to them about Shervantaigh, who is unbeaten. Shervantaigh is a champion and I asked them to rate him in the top 10. Ricardo is rated at number seven and I asked them to look at moving him up. I also asked them to keep Sibanda in the top 15.”
Meanwhile, the 63-year-old former World Boxing Association (WBA) and International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior-lightweight titlist champion, received a WBC belt from the organisation’s president Mauricio Sulaimán on Monday. – Monwabisi Jimlongo
