History favours Mdantsane’s Siyakholwa Kuse in his WBC mini-flyweight title rematch on Saturday with historic connotations.
Kuse faces Filipino Melvin Jerusalem in a Golden Gloves Promotion tournament at Emperors Palace in Ekurhuleni in a sequel to their October clash, which was the highlight of the 50th anniversary of the Thrilla in Manila celebrations.
Kuse appeared to be running away with the fight until Jerusalem staged a late rally and scraped through with a close unanimous decision, with most ringsiders believing the Mdantsane southpaw would have got the nod if the venue and occasion had not been designed for the Filipino.
Contrary to normal circumstances, Jerusalem surprisingly agreed to come to Kuse’s backyard for a rematch, which is also laden with historic connotations, as it will mark the first time WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman visits the country.
The head of arguably the most prestigious world sanctioning body will arrive in SA on Wednesday with activities lined up for him to engage in, including a meeting with Boxing SA (BSA) board chair Ayanda Khumalo on Thursday.
This has swayed the odds in Kuse’s favour, with his history of winning title rematches also adding to his advantage.
Kuse suffered his first loss in a South African mini-flyweight title challenge to Xolisa Magusha in 2019 in a fight most believed he deserved to win.
After reviewing the fight, BSA ordered a rematch, but Magusha had already committed to defending the belt to Sibusiso Bandla, who dethroned him and inherited the rematch order.
Kuse ruthlessly destroyed Bandla in five one-sided rounds to take the title.
However, Kuse surrendered the title in his maiden defence to Bangile Nyangani amid allegations of drug addiction.
After kicking the drug curse and working his way back into title contention, Kuse exacted revenge on Nyangani in a rematch to take back his belt.
Kuse’s trainer, Manny Fernandez, said his charge was in the best mental and physical condition for the rematch.
“Kuse understands the job done by Golden Gloves to make this rematch at home and has vowed not to disappoint the promoter,” he said.
“He is superb in camp, and the fact that he has been in a camp at Emperors Palace adds to his appreciation.”
Jerusalem is no stranger to defending his title in his opponent’s backyard, though the first assignment led to him parting with his WBO belt to American Oscar Collazo in the US in 2023.
He had been chasing a rematch, and on March 14 it was locked in for the US only to be scrapped, leaving him with no opponent until he settled for Kuse.
The Filipino also travelled to Japan to dethrone Yudai Shigeoka for the WBC belt in a stunning upset in March 2023.
He returned to Japan a year later for a rematch, beating Shigeoka more convincingly. The Japanese suffered injuries which forced him to quit boxing.
Besides demanding a handsome purse, Jerusalem also insisted on arriving in the country two weeks in advance to acclimatise and has been training in Johannesburg since the beginning of May.
Golden Gloves director Nivi Grogor said having Sulaiman as a guest of the tournament was a monumental endorsement of the quality of South African boxing.
“It has been nearly three decades since his father graced our shores, and to have the WBC president here to witness our talent first-hand is a powerful statement,” she said
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