Kuse bounces back from drug addiction to WBC champion

Newly crowned WBC silver strawweight boxing champion Siyakholwa “The One” Kuse is a living testimony that one's past does not determine their future.

From being a drug addict, written off as a fighter to winning the SA and ABU belts was a remarkable recovery by Kuse.

But going on to win the WBC silver belt is historical for the 26-year-old fighter from the dusty streets of Mdantsane in the Eastern Cape.

Thabiso Mchunu and Kevin Lerena are the only two locals to have won the WBC silver. Mchunu's accomplishment propelled him to challenge WBC cruiserweight champ Ilunga Makabu but failed to dethrone him.

Lerena held that organisation's briderweight silver belt before his stay was upgraded to that of a fully fledged champion. Kuse, who was rated No 5, is on the doorstep of challenging WBC strawweight champ Melvin Jerusalem from the Philippines.

Kuse is arguably a role model to others who want to turn their lives around like he did. But all credit to manager Mlandeli Tengimfene – a qualified social scientist – who came to Kuse's rescue in 2022.

“He came to me with two things – that I help him with his drug addiction and that he wanted his title back,” said Tengimfene.

“I took him away from Mdantsane NU8 where he used drugs and he lived with me in Cambridge. I cut his dreadlocks because I wanted him to be clean before I informed his parents that he was with me.

“He went through rigorous processes of cleansing and that required 45 days; he weighed 45kg – a zombie, weak, underweight and heavily dehydrated. I had to feed him so that he could gain 7kg before I could cut him back to the minimum weight.”

Tengimfene said the 16-ounce gloves were too heavy for Kuse.

“We had to put him on a drip to rehydrate him,” said the manager who then took the boxer to his All Winners Gym where he is trained by Makazole Tete and his younger brother Zolani Tete.

Kuse's reciprocated by winning three titles when no one thought he could bounce back as a human being, let alone being a boxer. He defeated tough-as-teak SA-based Zimbabwean Beaven “The One” Sibanda for the WBC silver belt on Friday after their intriguing hard-fought 12-round fight at Emperors Palace.

Judges Ben Capayi from East London and Francis Chirwa from Zambia scored the fight 115-114 and 117-111, respectively. Sibanda's home girl, judge Gloria Dera, must have smoked her socks to score it a draw at 114-114.

Their fight turned into a nail-biting affair in the last three rounds with Sibanda piling up pressure, throwing volumes of punches though most missed the intended target. That was probably because he had been told by his team that all judges had Kuse ahead after eight rounds.

Kuse danced his way out of a potential knockdown while scoring with few but cleaner punches. There was scare early in the fight when Kuse sustained cuts, but Bernie Pailman proved – once more – that closing cuts are his speciality.

Other results:

SA welterweight : Keanu Koopman beat Bonke Duku, KO 8

WBA Pan African bantamweight belt: Charlton Malajika beat Sabelo Cebekhulu, on points

Davis from US defeated Pieter de Klerk, KO 4

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