On basis of verbal barbs, Mbenge may rue Kuvesa bout
If Mardochee Kuvesa Katembo is able to transform into real action the verbal barbs spoken by his manager ahead of the boxer’s eagerly awaited match against Thulani “Evolution” Mbenge on October 17, then Mbenge will rue signing to face the Congolese.
SA-based Kuvesa is trained by John Tshabalala and the 27year-old from Kinshasa in the DRC has won 13 of his 16 fights. His last two bouts were under Tshabalala, including a drawn match against Ghanaian Obodai “The Miracle” Sai in Accra on August 9 2019.
Sai went into the fight boasting 26 knockouts from 35 wins with three losses.
Kuvesa raised eyebrows when he toyed with France “Fighting Time” Ramabolu — the former WBA Pan African and WBF International champion — in their eight-rounder at Turffontein Racecourse, Johannesburg, in June 2019.
That was Kuvesa’s second fight in SA, when he made his debut in 2018 with an impressive performance — points win — over tough-as-nails Vladyslav Baravov from Ukraine at Time Square in Pretoria.
Patrick Bonyeme, Kuvesa’s manager, owns a gym in Glenvista, Johannesburg. He manages a number of other boxers whose skills are polished by Tshabalala from the Free State. According to Bonyeme, the fight between Kuvesa and Mbenge will make SA realise how good Tshabalala is as a trainer.
“We have already signed the contract and we can’t wait to expose Thulani’s flaws,” Bonyeme said.
Female promoter Joyce Kungwane’s TLB Promotion intends to stage the fight at YMCA Hall, Orlando, in Soweto. Her entire tournament is subject to Boxing SA’s approval. This tournament was supposed to have taken place in March but the lockdown forced a postponement.
“We are ready to rumble and be crowned ABU champion. I still stand by what I said — that Thulani is an average boxer who has been lucky to become an IBO champ because he was looked after by Golden Gloves,” Bonyeme said about the hardhitting former SA, WBC International and IBO welterweight champion — a former top amateur from Mdantsane — whose pro career is guided in Johannesburg by trainer Sean Smith.
Mbenge tasted defeat in his 16th fight in July 2019 when he surrendered his IBO belt to Sebastian Formella in Germany.
“If Thulani can’t beat Formella, then what will he do against Kuvesa?” said Bonyeme, who maintained that his charge was quicker and more talented than Formella.
“Even when Thulani fought Ndwayana [Mziwoxolo, for the SA title in 2017] he was gone after four rounds. I know Thulani can’t fight from the first round until the last round with the same rhythm. We’ve been watching and studying him in all his fights. Don’t forget that this time Thulani will be fighting against an invisible man.
“It will be the same story, like Ramabolu who tried but couldn’t find Kuvesa in the ring. That is how good John Tshabalala is as a trainer, but he is underrated.”
Mbenge, 29, has stopped 12 of 15 opponents.