‘Rock’ must keep powder dry for Palace coup against the loaded ‘Tommy Gun’
There are bouts whose outcomes may not yield anything for the winner but still be intriguing enough to command high television ratings or packed venues.
The cruiserweight clash between Thabiso “Rock” Mchunu and boxing errant boy Thomas “Tommy Gun” Oosthuizen on September 1 should fit that narrative.
Scheduled to be held at Emperors Palace, the bout will pit a boxer in Mchunu whose time at the top level has come and gone against an opponent who is probably fighting more for the stomach than legacy.
Such bouts are still important as they keep the sport alive and usually deliver the styles matchup which thrills hardcore boxing cult.
Mchunu, a once promising world conqueror has not been able to translate his technical expertise into success at the world stage.
After losing by a ninth round stoppage to recently unified world cruiserweight champion Oleksandr Uysk when challenging for the WBO, he has not done anything spectacular to suggest that he should be counted among the elite in the division.
Instead such honour can easily be bestowed on sparring partner Kevin Lerena whose star has been shining brighter.
Although going nine rounds with Uysk now looks even better after the Ukrainian continued to dominate every opponent put in front of him, it is the aftermath of the fight that has been worrying for the KwaZulu-Natal chisel-bodied southpaw.
Instead of ascending, Mchunu’s career has instead gone backwards when he lost to fighters he should easily be beating.
Dropping a decision to fighters such as Constantin Bejenaru does not bode well for anyone who aspires to conquer the world.
Although he rebounded to a win column in his last bout against Ricards Bolotniks two months ago, he did not produce fireworks before his sixth round stoppage.
In fact long before his uppercut-induced stoppage, detractors were already writing him off for the pre-announced clash against Oosthuizen.
This even though Oosthuizen has been warding off negative publicity than opponents in the ring.
Oosthuizen has assumed the villain tag in this match-up of southpaws due to his regular marches to prison cells instead of boxing rings.
But the fact that some view him as a favourite in this bout says more about Mchunu’s eroded prowess if there ever was.
Fight
Storylines make it a potential thrilling encounter
promoter Rodney