Three boxing aficionados – Kevin Lerena, Andile Sdinile and Sechaba Mabuya – have tipped Thabiso Mchunu to topple Ilunga Makabu as the WBC cruiserweight champion on Sunday morning.
The fight between the two left-handers will take place in the US city of Ohio. Lerena is the former undefeated IBO cruiserweight holder, Sdinile is a promoter, while Mabuya is a trainer.
Lerena said: “Thabiso is very skilled and hard to hit. The reason I am gonna lean towards Thabiso is because I don’t think he will make the same mistake that he made in their first fight in 2015 ... going too hard too soon. I think he will be more calculated and safer.
“It might not make for an exciting fight but it will make for a victory. Makabu is a great fighter with consistent work rate. He got knocked out by Tony Bellew in 2016 but came back to win the WBC title. I just think that with Thabiso’s skill set and style, if he plays the right game plan, Makabu will struggle to get off him.
“But if he allows Makabu to get off on him and start putting punches and combinations together, then Mchunu is gonna have a lot that night. But I am going with Mchunu on points.”
Sdinile said Makabu is done as a fighter. “He’s ready to go,” he said straight up. “After his beating by Tony Bellew (KO 3) he has been rocked many times. Wear and tear of Makabu is beyond repairs.
“Even when he won the title [on points against Michal Cieslak in 2020] he was rocked more than once. I want Thabiso to win [because] first, he’s a South African, of course and secondly, he’s more of a technician than Makabu.”
Mabuya, who has produced champions with Vusi Mtolo, warned: “Makabu can take pressure and turn tables around but I wish Thabiso good luck. He will be required to dig deeper to get it, though.”
But accomplished fellow trainer Bernie Pailman was in the opposite corner.
“Makabu will retain the title on a stoppage in the later rounds,” he said. “Mchunu’s trainer Sean Smith has not won a fight against Damien Durandt [who trains Makabu]. That boy [Durandt] has made his mark in a short space of time after the death of his father [top trainer Nick Durandt] in 2017.”
While Mchunu, 33, has superior skills and uses the ring very well, 34-year-old Makabu is the stronger fighter who comes forward all the time.
Top boxing officials tip Mchunu to topple Makabu
'Ilunga is done as a fighter, he’s ready to go'
Image: Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images
Three boxing aficionados – Kevin Lerena, Andile Sdinile and Sechaba Mabuya – have tipped Thabiso Mchunu to topple Ilunga Makabu as the WBC cruiserweight champion on Sunday morning.
The fight between the two left-handers will take place in the US city of Ohio. Lerena is the former undefeated IBO cruiserweight holder, Sdinile is a promoter, while Mabuya is a trainer.
Lerena said: “Thabiso is very skilled and hard to hit. The reason I am gonna lean towards Thabiso is because I don’t think he will make the same mistake that he made in their first fight in 2015 ... going too hard too soon. I think he will be more calculated and safer.
“It might not make for an exciting fight but it will make for a victory. Makabu is a great fighter with consistent work rate. He got knocked out by Tony Bellew in 2016 but came back to win the WBC title. I just think that with Thabiso’s skill set and style, if he plays the right game plan, Makabu will struggle to get off him.
“But if he allows Makabu to get off on him and start putting punches and combinations together, then Mchunu is gonna have a lot that night. But I am going with Mchunu on points.”
Sdinile said Makabu is done as a fighter. “He’s ready to go,” he said straight up. “After his beating by Tony Bellew (KO 3) he has been rocked many times. Wear and tear of Makabu is beyond repairs.
“Even when he won the title [on points against Michal Cieslak in 2020] he was rocked more than once. I want Thabiso to win [because] first, he’s a South African, of course and secondly, he’s more of a technician than Makabu.”
Mabuya, who has produced champions with Vusi Mtolo, warned: “Makabu can take pressure and turn tables around but I wish Thabiso good luck. He will be required to dig deeper to get it, though.”
But accomplished fellow trainer Bernie Pailman was in the opposite corner.
“Makabu will retain the title on a stoppage in the later rounds,” he said. “Mchunu’s trainer Sean Smith has not won a fight against Damien Durandt [who trains Makabu]. That boy [Durandt] has made his mark in a short space of time after the death of his father [top trainer Nick Durandt] in 2017.”
While Mchunu, 33, has superior skills and uses the ring very well, 34-year-old Makabu is the stronger fighter who comes forward all the time.
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