Tengimfene brushes off fears of Kuse vacating national belt

Mlandeli Tengimfene has dismissed the possibility of current SA and ABU minimum-flyweight boxing champion, Siyakholwa Kuse, vacating the national belt.

Kuse, 23, from Mdantsane, is one of the many boxers whose careers are managed by Tengimfene.

“There is no way he will relinquish the South African minimum weight title,” said Tengimfene, whose fighters are trained in his All Winners Boxing Gym by the Tete brothers – Makazole and Zolani.

Tengimfene was very emotional during the interview on the subject and it was unclear what could have triggered that annoyance.

“We cannot live on hopes when you have something going right on the palm of your hands; who are you trying to please by throwing away your meal ticket?” he continued.

Kuse won the national title on July 2 last year and has already forfeited the voluntary status. He is now on mandatory and the number one contender is Viwe Mngema.

Kuse added the ABU belt in his collection on December 3. That win earned Kuse a top rating by the WBC because of its affiliation with the ABU.

“He is rated at No 7 by the WBC,” said Tengimfene, who made it clear his charge will continue holding both his belts and defend them.

“There is a lot of money to be made in defending the SA belt,” he said. “I can count a number of SA champions who made money with the SA titles.”

He mentioned former junior-featherweight champ, Mabhuti Sinyabi, and welterweight holder Joseph Makaringe who each defended their national titles more than 10 times each and SA flyweight belt owner Jackson Chauke who made the required record of five successful defences.

“If Kuse is due to make a mandatory defence of the SA title, we will honour it; if he must make voluntary defence, we will do so too,” said Tengimfene. “We just need to be busy in order for rating by the WBC to improve.

“I also want him to go through all proper development stages through local fights.”