Filipino boxing promoter Jim Claude ‘JC’ Mananquil reckons that former South African minimumweight champion Siyakholwa Kuse must first defeat Joey Canoy before even thinking about challenging Melvin Jerusalem.
Kuse faces Canoy in a World Boxing Council (WBC) strawweight elimination bout at the Emperor’s Palace in Kempton Park, Ekurhuleni, on Saturday, 4 October. And the winner of this bout is going to challenge Jerusalem, who’s the reigning WBC strawweight champion.
“Kuse still has a big fight against Canoy. He must concentrate on that before thinking about Melvin,” Mananquil, who trades under the Sanman Promotions banner, said.
“Melvin is a very good fighter and has proven himself. He’s a two-time world champion. He has defended his belt two times. Everybody knows that he’s a good champion.”
Mananquil is in South Africa together with his boxers RV Deniega and Richard Garde, who fight against Charlton Malajika and Beaven Sibanda respectively. They fight at the Emperor’s Palace on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Jerusalem has defended the title twice since he won it after he defeated Yudai Shigeoka in March last year.
The 31-year-old Jerusalem successfully defended his crown against Shigeoka and Mexican Luis Castillo. – Monwabisi Jimlongo
