By Monwabisi Jimlongo
Boxing South Africa (BSA) director of operations Mandla Ntlanganiso has wished Thabiso Mchunu good luck ahead of his fight against Ilunga Makabu from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Mchunu challenges World Boxing Council (WBC) cruiserweight champion Makabu at the Packard Music Hall in Warren, Ohio, United States, on Saturday, 29 January (Sunday, 30 January South African time). This fight is promoted by Don King’s Don King Productions.
Makabu will be making a second defence of the belt he won when he outpointed Michal Cieślak from Poland at the Temporary Arena, Kinshasa, in the DRC in January 2020.
The 34-year-old Makabu, who is trained by Damien Durandt in Johannesburg, stopped Nigerian boxer Olanrewaju Durodola in the seventh round during his first defence at Studio Mama in Kinshasa, DRC, in December 2020.
“These are two great African sons of the soil. This is one of the biggest fights ever for us in the continent where our boxers will be battling for this prestigious title. We wish Thabiso Mchunu well in this fight,” Ntlanganiso said.
This is the second time the two southpaws meet with Makabu having stopped Mchunu when they met in Durban in 2015.
“This is a return fight after Mchunu lost by a stoppage in the 11th round. I believe that this time around Thabiso is determined to come back home with the title,” Ntlanganiso remarked.
“This is the kind of fight we should be celebrating as a country. We need to be giving 150 percent to our boxer, who is going to raise the flag of our country at an international stage. We wish to extend our gratitude to the team for making it this far. Again, we wish Mchunu all the best and hope he will bring the title to the country to make the province of KwaZulu-Natal proud.”
Mchunu together with his stablemate Thulani Mbenge, trainer Sean Smith, George Smith and Jerry Thomas have pitched up tents in Mexico City, Mexico, since last week. Mchunu and his entourage will proceed to Ohio on Saturday.
