Something has to give at Palace
MBENGE, FILIPINO DEFEND UNBEATEN RUNS Promoter Rodney Berman lines up an action-packed card.
Four bouts – which are 42 rounds of action – await spectators at Emperors Palace tonight when Golden Gloves Promotions rolls out yet another edition of the neverending battle of the leather.
Promoter Rodney Berman has made it his business to add to the list of memorable battles he has organised over the years, longer than the towering image of trainer Sean Smith who will be barking instructions in Thulani Mbenge’s corner during his international debut against tough Filipino Jayar Inson in one headline bout.
The two unbeaten stars will have eight rounds of welterweight action to try to inflict a first loss on their opponent, but Berman is already singing the praises of Mbenge to follow his past stars.
“But he will be severely tested by this Filipino guy,” Berman cautioned.
Another humdinger Johnny Muller and Mchunu double title encounter.
Pitting a technical southpaw in the “Rock” against a grizzled workaholic and the swarming style of the “Hurricane,” the bout promises to invoke the debate on is the Thabiso cruiserweight whether skills outsmart determination and durability.
While the 90kg-plus behemoths will be swapping power punches, it will be the same south of boxing when less than 48kg midgets Simpiwe Konkco and Filipino Lito Dante rely more on pace than power to get an edge over one other.
Konkco will go into the fight with a psychological edge having beaten Siyabonga Siyo who beat Dante in the Filipino’s previous visit to the country.
“We are prepared for the best Dante, never mind the fact that he lost to Siyo, who lost to Simpiwe,” said Konkco’s trainer Colin Nathan.
The final scrap will be between Lee Dyer and Alfonzo Tissen with the continental super-middleweight crown up for grabs.