Mchunu knows he’s the one to stop Usyk in LA
THABISO MCHUNU predicts that he will beat undefeated WBO cruiserweight champion Oleksandr Usyk by either a third-round stoppage or a points victory in next week’s title bout in California.
Usyk will be making the first defence of the belt he won from Poland’s Krzysztof Głowacki via a recent unanimous decision. That bout was the 10th fight and 10th victory of his professional career, and also the first which didn’t come via TKO or knockout. However, Mchunu expects to take control of the bout early on against the Ukranian.
“I see myself dominating him (early on) and he’s going to try to respond to that, and every time he tries to respond I’m going to counter-punch him,” the 28-year-old said. “I’m going to be the one who is going to control the fight and I’m either going to get a win on points or stop him. I can’t say I’ll definitely stop him, but if I do I think it will be in the third round.”
Usyk and Mchunu are set to meet in a 12-round showdown on December 17 at Los Angeles’ The Forum – an arena which has hosted recent boxing bouts featuring stars like Juan Manuel Márquez, Manny Pacquiao and Gennady Golovkin.
The fight takes place on the undercard of “The Final 1”, an event billed as such because it also features 51-year-old Bernard Hopkins against Joe Smith Jnr in what he claims is the final bout of his stellar career.
Mchunu may be facing a highly-rated and undefeated opponent who holds a 10cm height and 14cm reach advantage, in what is undoubtedly the biggest moment of his career, but if he’s overawed in any way he isn’t showing it.
“I’ve been there and I’ve fought in the USA before, and every time I’ve fought in the USA I have won,” he said. “So he has something to prove because it’s his first time fighting in America. But he can’t afford to try a lot of things and make mistakes against a guy like me.”
Mchunu heads into the match with a professional record of 17 victories (11 via TKO/KO) and two losses, both of which have come against opponents from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
In his 11th bout, the Durbanite suffered a TKO loss to Zack Mwekassa – who has since switched to kickboxing – and he also suffered a KO defeat to Ilunga Makabu. Mchunu beat Burkina Faso’s Boniface Kabore by secondround TKO in May, winning the WBA Pan African Cruiserweight title and earning a ranking high enough to get the title shot. Should his prediction turn out correct, Mchunu will become the first South African to win a WBO title since Corrie Sanders knocked out Wladimir Klitschko in 2003.
“He’s a good boxer and he can box, but he hasn’t fought someone like me. First of all, I’m short so it’s going to be hard for him to fight me because I’m short and very awkward. He has never fought anyone with my skills, who is shorter than him and also fast,” Mchunu said.
“I have a very good chance of winning his fight. I’m smart, I have skill and I have speed. I have been there before, so this is just another day for me. He’s a good boxer and good opposition always brings out the best in me.”