Van Heerden ducks taking on M’sane foe any time soon
CALLS to Chris van Heerden by the camp of Mdantsane boxer Thulani Mbenge for a bout appeared to be far from being realised as Van Heerden continues to chase for bigger bouts abroad.
Mbenge was hoping to finally get Van Heerden in the ring in June, but the latter has instead opted to be part of the Jose Sulaiman World Invitational Welterweight Tournament pioneered by former world heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield.
Van Heerden, who goes by the Heat moniker, will face Kosovo-born German Timo Schwarzkopf at KFC Yum! Centre in Louisville, US this evening.
Other bouts on this welterweight tournament will see Felix Diaz clash against Francisco Santana, Fredrick Lawson taking on Baishanbo Nasiywula and Brad Solomon opposing Paddy Gallagher.
It will be the first fight for Van Heerden for the year since he was last in action in October last year, when he beat Namibian Sacky Shikukutu.
His world boxing credentials have made him a tantalising bait for Mbenge, who is eager to get a world recognised boxer in his fight record.
Mbenge recently won the WBC international title to register his 13th win in as many fights.
He will be back in the ring on June 3 against an opponent yet to be determined.
He was hoping that opponent would be Van Heerden, but so far the left-hander is opting to be part of the welterweight tournament.
However, he will be against a tough cookie in Schwarzkopf, who has lost just once in 19 bouts, scoring 10 stoppages.
Aged 26, he will likely be expected to carry too many guns for the South African, whose inactivity may be his Achilles heel.
This even though Van Heerden has lost just twice in 28 bouts, suffering one of the losses at the hands of current unbeaten IBF king, Errol Spence.
Van Heerden has been juggling between fighting in the country and US, where he teamed up with Hall of Famer trainer Freddie Roach.
He has reportedly gone back to the US and is hoping a win will revive his career and catapult him back up the world ratings.
But Mbenge has not given up on getting Van Heerden in the ring.
“Such a fight would be an exciting one, but so far Van Heerden has been looking at other options,” said Mbenge’s promoter, Rodney Berman. —