Manny Fernandes was obviously disappointed after Siyakholwa Kuse lost to reigning World Boxing Council (WBC) minimumweight champion Melvin ‘El Gringo’ Jerusalem in Manila last October as he had thought that his charge had done enough to win the fight.
With Golden Gloves managing director Rodney Berman having secured a rematch for Kuse, Fernandes strongly believes that the Mdantsane-born boxer will ultimately win the WBC title. Kuse is scheduled to fight against Jerusalem at the Emperors Palace in Kempton Park, Ekurhuleni, on Saturday, 16 May.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for Siya. It’s great that Rodney Berman and Golden Gloves have made this fight possible,” Fernandes said.
On how Kuse fared in the first fight, Fernandes said: “I think Siya was not used to that environment. The fight was very close and the champion used his experience. Despite that, I thought Kuse did enough to win the title.”
And should Kuse defeat Jerusalem, he will emulate the late Dingaan ‘The Rose of Soweto’ Thobela, who captured a WBC title on home soil.
Thobela stopped Glenn Catley from the United Kingdom in the 12th round and, in the process, annexed the WBC super-middleweight title at the Carnival City, Brakpan, in September 2000.
“We are going to make sure that Siya is super fit, not that he was not super fit in the first fight. We want to manage the rounds from the first minute. The good thing is that Siya is very confident about winning the title and he’s improving as a boxer.”
On Jerusalem agreeing to fight in South Africa, Fernandes said: “For Jerusalem to agree to come here it means that he’s confident about winning. It’s going to be a war.”
A win by the former SA and African Boxing Union (ABU) minimumweight titlist, will make him the first boxer from the boxing loving Eastern Cape to win the much-coveted WBC title. – Monwabisi Jimlongo
