Kuse needs win against Sibanda for shot at WBC belt

Cometh the hour, cometh the man.

This phrase is said to have been uttered by the English bowler, Cliff Gladwin on December 20, 1948, in Durban, when, with two wickets standing and 12 runs required off the last three remaining overs, he came into bat.

It was reported he scored the winning run from a leg-bye with the last ball of the match after the ball struck him on the thigh.

Afterwards, in the dressing room, he proudly showed all comers the bruise from which cricket’s most famous leg-bye was scored. “I told you, ‘Cometh the hour, cometh the man’,” he said.

 This motto is used by successful boxing manager Mlandleli Tengimfene ahead of his boxers’ match, which will determine his future. 

SA and ABU mini flyweight champion Siyakholwa Kuse, who is trained at Tengimfene All Winners Boxing Gym in East London, will challenge for the WBC silver belt on Saturday evening.

Victory against the equally capable foe – Zimbabwean Beaven Sibanda from the Brian Mitchell Boxing Academy in Edenvale – will put the East Londoner in a favourable position to challenge reigning WBC world champ Melvin Jerusalem. Kuse is rated No 5, a ranking which will be on the line against No 14 rated Sibanda.

“December 6 will provide an answer if we are the real deal or pretender to the throne,” said Tengimfene about the much talked about match-up to be staged at Emperors Palace by Golden Gloves of prominent veteran promoter Rodney Berman in conjunction with Tengimfene’s Last Born Promotion.

“Sibanda is a good boy. I had to take Kuse to train in Johannesburg for him to get used to the higher altitude. That is how serious we are approaching this fight.”

Kuse is trained by former two-weight world champ Zolani Tete.

“We don’t underestimate Sibanda at all, otherwise we would be preparing at home,” said Tengimfene .

Kuse who has been in Johannesburg for three weeks has been getting assistance from the gyms of Harry Ramogoadi, Brad Norman, Harold Volbrecht and Lucky Ramagole.

“My gratitude to all these guys,” he said, adding that Berman takes the cup in opening avenues for his fighter.

“Boxing will be the winner on December 6. Back in the day, this bout would not have happened no matter how much people wanted it.

“People are still arguing about what would have happened between Brain Mitchel and Dingaan Thobela, Vuyani Bungu against Welcome Ncita because they were never matched against each other.”

Stable mates – Cassius Baloyi and Malcolm Klassen for Baloyi's IBF junior lightweight belt – a historic match-up Klassen won by a seventh-round stoppage in Mafikeng on April 18, 2009.

“Things have changed, let’s get the best of the best, and Berman has done just that,” says Tengimfene in reference to the main bout of the “Rival Reloaded” bill.

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