Simphiwe Konkco has been given the blessing by the World Boxing Council (WBC) to begin negotiating with reigning WBC mini flyweight king Wanheng Menayothin for a championship fight.

The championship committee of this Mexico-based sanctioning body made this known to Konkco's camp on Thursday, making it clear that if the two camps do not find each other, the rights to stage Menayothin's mandatory defence will be decided on purse bids.

The WBC, which does not dish out ratings to fill the number, has placed Konkco on the No 1 spot for Menayothin's belt which he has just defended in what was his 11th defence.

That means Konkco is a real force because the WBC only rates the best. The last local boxer to fight for the most-sought-after green and gold WBC belt was Gideon Buthelezi who lost to Adrian Hernandez in Mexico in 2011.

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Konkco's consistency in retaining his IBO belt caught the attention of the WBC ratings committee. He will face the man who is undefeated after 53 fights. That is three more wins than those chalked up by Floyd Mayweather who retired undefeated with 50 wins.

It is every boxer's dream to win the WBC belt which portrays the flags of all 161-member countries of the organisation.

Among those to have been recognised by the WBC as world champions are Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, Roberto Duran, Thomas Hearns, Marvin Hagler, Bernard Hopkins, Mayweather, Azumah Nelson, Thulani Malinga and Dingaan Thobela.

Strange as it may sound, the Eastern Cape, has never produced a WBC champion despite the great talent that province has had. Most boxers there won IBF belts, including Vuyani Bungu who defended his junior featherweight belt 13 times. No local boxer has made that number of defences for a world boxing title.