The stakes are high
SHOWDOWN: CRUISERWEIGHTS MCHUNU, MULLER’S CAREERS ON THE LINE
Fascinating contrast of styles at Emperors Palace.
Five years ago Golden Gloves Promotion boss Rodney Berman watched Thabiso Mchunu and Zack Mwekassa hand brutal beatings to Flo Simba and Tshepang Mohale in his inspired Super Eight Cruiserweight series.
Dubbed “Last Man Standing”, Berman pitted eight cruiserweights against each other on an elimination basis until a winner was produced.
The boxers featured were Mchunu, Mwekassa, Simba, Mohale, Danie Venter, Daniel Bruwer, Johnny Muller and a boxer from abroad.
The first leg had Mchunu against Simba and Mwekassa who had up until then been responsible for Mchunu’s lone loss, pitted against Mohale.
While Mchunu and Mwekassa were dishing out hideous shellackings to their foes, Muller was pacing up and down the Emperors Palace ring looking totally terror-stricken.
Berman spotted him and immediately detected that Muller, who ironically was coming down from heavyweight, had no shot at beating either boxers including those that were yet to face in the following leg.
“I think I am going to withdraw Muller from this series otherwise these guys will wipe the floor with him,” he said.
Muller would eventually be withdrawn, rendering the search for a boxer from abroad pointless.
Mchunu eventually remained the last man standing by sensationally dominating, then stopping, Venter, a win that launched his international career and attracted the interest of top US promotional outfit Main Events in an effort to sign him.
Fast forward to June 10 this year and Muller and Mchunu finally meet at Emperors in a fight which offers much more than the handsome cheque Berman handed the cruiserweight series winner five years ago.
Mchunu is fresh from a nineround stoppage defeat against Oleksandr Usyk when he challenged for the Ukrainian’s WBO crown last December.
Interestingly, by losing to Usyk, Mchunu joined Muller, Brewer and Venter as the Ukrainian’s South African victims.
“This fight has much more than rands at stake; it offers both guys an opportunity to save their careers,” said Berman.
The showdown pits intriguing contrasting styles of the more technically gifted yet lazy Mchunu against the grizzled workaholic Muller whose never- say-die attitude is responsible for his standing.
While he found himself at the centre of the officiating storm of his recent Mateusz Masternak win, the saga robbed Muller of being credited for the gutsy showing he exhibited in the clash.
To spice up the encounter, Berman has thrown in a belt for the vacant SA cruiserweight title as well as recognition as a continental ruler in the division.
The stakes can never be higher.