Weeks and months of preparations have come to an end as Shervantaigh Koopman fights against Uisma dos Ramos Lima at the Emperor’s Palace in Kempton Park, Ekurhuleni, on Saturday evening.
Koopman will be attempting to wrestle the International Boxing Organisation (IBO) junior-middleweight crown away from the Angolan-born Lima, who is now based in Porto, Portugal.
The unbeaten Koopman has won all his 15 fights, having stopped 10 of his opponents while Lima has won 13 times with nine stoppages and a loss.
“I will still be undefeated after the fight,” a bold Koopman, who is a former South African junior-middleweight champion, said.
Meanwhile, erstwhile SA minimumweight titlist Siyakholwa Kuse clashes with Filipino boxer Samuel Salva in a non-title fight, which will serve as the main suporting bout.
This is Kuse’s first fight since he left All Winners Boxing Club in Mdantsane to join the Brian Mitchell Boxing Academy in Edenvale. It’s also going to be the first time Kuse fights since winning the World Boxing Council (WBC) Silver minimumweight title after he defeated Zimbabwean Beaven Sibanda in December last year.
On the other hand, this is Salva’s second fight of the year having beaten his Filipino compatriot Eldin Guinahon in January.
