Earlier this week Rodney Berman headed for Europe, chiefly to attend Roarke Knapp’s fight against Bakary Samake in Paris next weekend, but also to chat to several international fighters keen to sign up.
The Golden Gloves boss is keen to witness first hand Knapp’s step up against the dangerous Samake, particularly coming as it will be just a fortnight after Azinga Fuzile’s disappointing outing against Sultan Zaurbek.
Fuzile had his moments in the Astana ring, but when it came time to go through the gears, he wasn’t equipped to do so. With few exceptions, this has been the case for many South African boxers who fall short at the critical stage.
“He started very well, but fell off in the latter stages,” lamented Berman. “You can’t go into the big time expecting to win as a counter-puncher. You have to seize these moments.”
The talk of Fuzile’s lack of focus was overstated by the commentary team, but you must wonder why his intensity dropped off so badly after the sixth round. He had been boxing on even terms and even caught the Kazakh flush, but the lack of consistency cost him heavily.
With Eyes on Samake, Golden Gloves Bets Big on Future Glory
No doubt a heart-to-heart will take place in the coming weeks to determine where Fuzile goes next. The last thing he needs is to become a stepping stone, but he also needs to demonstrate he still belongs among the upper reaches of elite boxing.
Perhaps he needs a re-tooling, perhaps he needs a change in the corner. Whatever it may be, he must switch things up if he is ever to deliver on his potential.
Golden Gloves’ focus will now switch to the French capital where the home-based WBC Silver champion will start as favourite.
The 21-year-old is viewed as one of the hottest prospects in French boxing and is rated eighth by the WBC. It’s clearly a gamble by Golden Gloves, although if Knapp is to break into the big time, beating prospects like Samake are non-negotiable
