Konkco’s ‘ready for big league’
NEXT STEP: SA FIGHTER SQUARES UP TO WORLD’S BEST
Own Correspondent
“There is no loser in this fight, none whatsoever,” top US promoter Gary Shaw once declared.
He was describing the epic battle between Diego Corrales and Jose Luis Castillo when the pair brutalised each other for 10 rounds of their WBC and WBO lightweight title unification in 2005 until the former emerged an unlikely winner.
To a lesser extent Simpiwe Konkco was exactly in the same situation in his war of attrition with Hekkie Budler when he went down in a WBA and IBO mini-flyweight title challenge two years ago.
While Konkco was kicking himself for failing to dethrone Budler, he had earned a ticket to bigger things with his fighting prowess which belied his modest record of four losses in 18 bouts.
After showering him with endless praises, promoter Rodney Berman made good his promise of bringing Konkco back by convincing the IBO to give him another chance at the crown forfeited by Budler after his unexpected loss to unheralded Nicaraguan Byron Rojas. The fighter from Mthatha never looked back as he saw off the challenge of Siyabonga Siyo before repelling the challenge of veteran Nkosinathi Joyi to cement his status as a world-class boxer.
Now Berman will unleash the smallest world champion in the land against the best in the world starting with a date against Filipino Lito Dante (13-7-4, 7 KOs) at Emperors Palace next Saturday.
Hailing from a remote part of the country in Tsolo, a roadside rural town on the N2 from East London to Durban, Konkco is ready to take his roller-coaster ride career to the world stage.
“I am ready for the big league. But I cannot thank Mr Berman enough for never tossing me out after my loss to Budler,” he said.