The eagerly awaited boxing showdown for the WBF Intercontinental junior middleweight title between seasoned campaigner Nkululeko "Bull Dog" Mhlongo and greenhorn Emanny "The General" Kalombo will be decided at Edenvale Community Centre's ring tonight.

The fight is the main bout of Real Steel Promotion's card.

Mhlongo, 34, can be described as a teacher going into this bout, based on his vast ring experience, durability and big fight temperament.

He has fought 130 rounds, including three 12-rounders, in 21 bouts with 12 knockouts in 16 wins against five losses.

SA-based Kalombo, 27, who is originally from DR Congo, has not fought beyond five rounds since being introduced into boxing by the late
legendary trainer Nick
Durandt in 2015.

Kalombo, who is now trained by Nick's son Damien Durandt, boasts eight knockouts in eight fights. He has boxed only 18 rounds.

Mhlongo, who is guided by Gert Strydom, is a slow starter who gets stronger as each bout progresses, while Kalombo is an explosive smart finisher.

Mhlongo is a far more compact and textbook-style boxer whose accurate left lead and a strong right hand has taken him safely through trying times.

But Durandt is confident he has honed in Kalombo's accurate punching to perfect it to the point where it now carries the power required to hand the veteran his first stoppage loss.

Tonight's bout - dubbed "Unstoppable" by promoter Andre Thysse - suggests that it may not take the judges' panel long to decide the outcome.

Experienced official Eddy Marshall will be the referee, while Ben Ncapayi, Namhla Tyuluba and Pumeza Zinakile will be judges.

There will be seven more bouts and action begins at 7pm.