As the day of reckoning is approaching, with Kaine Fourie’s fight against former world champion, Eimantas Stanionis, taking place this coming Friday, veteran boxing trainer, Gert Strydom, is confident that his boxer will prevail against the Lithuanian.
Strydom’s charge, Fourie, will be seeking to register yet another win this year as he clashes with the erstwhile World Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight champion at the Zalgiris Arena in Kaunas.
“Kaine Fourie is looking good. He’s looking strong and ready to go. We know this is a big step up fight for Kaine. We’ve done our homework and the kid is up for it. We are ready to rumble,” Strydom said.
Fourie is the second South African boxer to face off against Stanionis in a year. The 32-year-old Stanionis defeated Jabulani Makhense on points at the Zalgiris Arena last September.
Fourie goes to the fight following a third round stoppage victory over Faraday Mukandila Tshibaka from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) at the Galleria in Sandton, Johannesburg, in July. Interestingly, Fourie won his last two fights by third round stoppages.
On the other hand, Stanionis lost to unbeaten American boxer, Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis, in an International Boxing Federation (IBF) welterweight title contest in April last year.
Meanwhile, the 24-year-old Fourie has registered 23 wins with 11 knockouts, two losses and two draws. A formidable opponent that he is, Kaunas-born Stanionis, who is 32 years old, has 16 wins with nine stoppages and one defeat. – Monwabisi Jimlongo
