There are similarities between Kalombo and Ndou – Durandt

Top trainer Damien Durandt has agreed that recently crowned IBF International junior middleweight Emmany “The General” Kalombo is still work in progress.

But the young trainer believes that he could be moulding a bigger version of breathtaking knock-out artist Phillip “Time Bomb” Ndou in Kalombo.

“There are similarities there,” said Durandt, who began training fighters in 2016 when his father Nick Durandt retired in that year. "You know what? Phillip had that one punch bang to drop opponents senselessly and we have not had someone like that since he quit. Emmany hits very hard but he is patient; he takes his time but still the punches he throw do the damage.

“I am impressed with what he has done – knocking out 16 of his 17 opponents [against a loss].”

Durandt has not only produced a WBC champion but he has already helped Ilunga “Junior” Makabu to make two successful defences of his cruiserweight belt. Kalombo and Makabu are homeboys from Kinshasa in the DR Congo.

Durandt has already helped Kalombo to win both WBF Intercontinental and WBO Africa titles. Kalombo pulverised Kenyan Rayton Okwiri into submission in seven rounds to win the IBF International title in ESPN Africa 18 tournament in Sandton last week.

Ndou was trained by Nick and left 34 of his 37 victims counting the stars. One of the three boxers who withstood Ndou’s power is boxing great Cassius Baloyi in their action-packed, energy-sapping fight which Ndou won on points in 2001.

Ndou was also knocked out three times, and one of those short-route defeats was against WBC lightweight holder American Floyd Mayweather, who stopped him in seven rounds. Ndou quit in 2016 after being stopped by little-known Ntuthuko Memela.