A tale of two pugs Careers on the line
Mbenge and Chauke both set for career defining bouts
● Between them, Tulz Mbenge and Jackson Chauke have won two of SA’s last three Commonwealth Games medals.
They’re both fighting this weekend — Mbenge at Emperors Palace on Saturday and Chauke at Carnival City on Friday.
The pugs are in action at venues separated by a mere 22km, and just 24 hours apart.
But the paths they have travelled in their careers have been worlds apart.
Mbenge, who makes the first defence of his IBO welterweight crown against tough Mexican Miguel Vazquez, quickly found the high road as he raced to an unbeaten record of 14 wins, 11 by stoppage, since winning bronze at Glasgow 2014.
I need those big fights for me to blossom into a star Tulz Mbenge
IBO welterweight champ
Commonwealth success
Chauke lifted the flyweight silver at Melbourne 2006, where teammate Bongani Mwelase won welterweight gold.
He stuck it out in the amateur ranks for another two years to live his dream of going to the Olympics. He went to the Beijing Games in 2008 as SA’s sole representative in the ring.
Both Mbenge and Mwelase joined the paid ranks straight after their Commonwealth successes.
Chauke made the switch following his sojourn in China, and since then has notched up four more fights than Mbenge, boasting a record of 16 wins, 12 by stoppage, one defeat and a draw. Mbenge has averaged four fights a year since his debut, while Chauke’s average is 1.8 bouts per year.
“My career didn’t pan out like I had thought it would when I started out,” admitted Chauke, 33, a personal trainer when he’s not boxing.
“I’ve had periods where I didn’t get fights, fights would get cancelled.
“It was a bit frustrating. To be a professional boxer you have to have something to fall back on ... But I’ve got no regrets.”
Chauke takes on unbeaten Zambian Alfred Muwowo, the ABU champion, for the WBC’s Silver International flyweight title.
The biggest problem in Mbenge’s career to date was a managerial one, where he naively signed with the first agent who approached him — practically while the medal was still around his neck in Scotland.
Approaching stardom
A small-time manager based in Britain representing a South African boxer in SA didn’t work out, and it took some months to get out of that.
But since stepping into the ring in May 2015, Mbenge has looked the part.
He was quickly rewarded with a contract by Golden Gloves, who steered him to the SA title and then the world title. The next step, when it comes, will be more challenging.
The welterweight division is one of the most exciting on the world stage, topped by three undefeated US fighters in Errol Spence junior, Terence Crawford and Keith Thurman.
“I need those big fights for me to blossom into a star,” said Mbenge,
“I definitely have to meet those big guys and those big names. Everyone knows that there’s a South African guy, they know me.
“Sean [Smith, his trainer], when he was at the WBC convention, he met the likes of [British welterweight star] Amir Khan. They definitely know me, so obviously I want to fight those big fights. Definitely.”
Vazquez, who started out at lightweight, could provide an interesting yardstick, having twice gone the distance against Canelo Alvarez early in his career, as well as surviving
12 rounds against Timothy Bradley, one of Manny Pacquiao’s conquerors.
Mbenge, 27, was so serious in his title challenge in his last outing that he cut off his dreadlocks.
“When you’ve got long hair it’s a lot of work. You’ve got to go to the salon, you’ve got to put on hair food and when you sweat, that hair food gets into your eyes, so I had to cut it so there’d be no distractions.”
Chauke has been dedicated all this time; staying in the same weight division for a decade is testament to his hard work.
The father of one is not prepared to give up on his dreams just yet. “I’d like to be a world champion or a world challenger and make more money.”
● Friday’s tournament will be streamed on Kwesé KFS from 7pm; and Saturday’s bill will be broadcast on SS8 from 7.30pm.