Ikhona likampetha lichitha indlela ebheke kwiWBC
IKHONA likampetha we-International Boxing Organisation (IBO) Cruiserweight, uKevin “KO Kid” Lerena, aliyingeni eyokumphendlela ithuba lokulwela ibhande leWorld Boxing Council (WBC).
ULerena (19-1-0) uwine ibhande le-IBO ngoSepthemba ehlula uYouri Kayembre Kalenga waseDemocratic Republic of Congo (DRC) empini ebise-Emperors Palace, eGauteng. Lokhu kuholele ekutheni anyukele endaweni yesine ezilinganisweni zeWBC okuyinhlangano yesibhakela ephezulu emhlabeni futhi edlelana ne-IBO.
Lo mshayisibhakela unethuba lokulwela iWBC uma eqokwa ngumpetha uMairis Briedis waseLatvia noma alwe impi yokuhlunga. Nokho umqeqeshi wakhe, uPeter Smith, uveze ukuthi nakuba belibona ithuba lokulwela iWBC kodwa akuyona into esemiqondweni yabo okwamanje.
Emasontweni edlule kujabhe uMzansi wonke ngesikhathi umshayisibhakela waKwaZuluNatal uThabiso “The Rock” Mchunu ehlulwa nguConstantin Bejenaru wase-USA empini yebhande leWBC Internationa obekuzothi uma eyiwina abhekane noBriedis.
UMchunu usesitebeleni esisodwa noLerena okuyiSmith’s Gym ephethwe yizelamani uPeter noSean Smith.
“Akukho esisakukhulumile mayelana nebhande leWBC. Eqinisweni akuyona indlela esingayithatha okwamanje. Sibheke ukuthi sivikele ibhande le-IBO ngoMashi wonyaka ozayo. Emuva kwalokho sifuna ukungena emqhudelwaneni iSuper Eight kwazise igama likaLerena lifakiwe nalo,” kusho uSmith.
“Sifuna ukumthuthukisa ngokomnotho uLerena okwamanje kuze kufike isikhathi lapho ezofunwa khona nxazonke. Ngokwami kuseva kakhulu ukuthi singagijimela ibhande leWBC esizolilwela kanye kudlule.”
Emlandweni wesibhakela eNingizimu Afrika, babili kuphela abashayisibhakela abasawine ibhande leWBC elithathwa njengelezingqwele emhlabeni jikelele. Labo nguThulani “Sugarboy” Malinga noDingaan “The Rose of Soweto” Thobela.
Ngaphandle kukaLerena, kubashayisibhakela base-Afrika abagaqele ibhande leWBC kukhona no-Ilunga “Junior” Makabu waseDRC ozolwa no-Olanrewaju Durodola waseNigeria empini yebhande leWBC Silver Cruiserweight ezoba seDubai namuhla. UMakabu ukhale ngaphansi kumpetha weWBC, uTony Bellew e-Everton, nyakenye. Ukleliswe endaweni yesithupha. UMchunu usendaweni ka-14.