One thing is for sure ahead of this weekend’s “Destiny’s Decree” main event at Emperors Palace – the headline fight between Michael Head and Bryan Thysse won’t be for the faint-hearted.
Thysse, the unbeaten upstart, will be bringing his refined skills to counter Head’s more elementary approach of ruggedness and determination. With the vacant SA light heavyweight championship on the line, plus the Rising Titans honour, it ought to blend the qualities that often define local rivalries and make them so memorable.
Given that their first fight several years ago was all hammer and tongs, and both have since progressed nicely, there’s little to suggest their follow-up will be any different. It is matchmaking at its finest.
No recent Golden Gloves tournament has been complete without heavyweight Juan Alberts, who fights dangerous Kareb Shitana. The Namibian can bang: his five stoppages in six wins point to a man who doesn’t hang around. But he’ll find a more than willing opponent in the exciting South African, who not only keeps getting better but has shown he has the whiskers to absorb heavy punching. Moreover, when he finds his range and rhythm, he’s hard to keep off and very dangerous.
Ticket sales have been brisk, which has encouraged promoter Rodney Berman. He believes the fluid international scene, with Saudi Arabia’s growing influence and the shifting sands in the US, have piqued interest everywhere. “There’s definitely a buzz around world boxing, and here too,” he said. “It bodes well for the next 12 to 18 months.”
It helps that Golden Gloves has such a strong stable, as exemplified by the form and fire of Charlton Malajika, the dynamic bantamweight. This weekend he fights Froilan Saludar of the Philippines. Ordinarily such an experienced boxer would be kept away from a prospect like Malajika, but Berman and his partners believe Malajika’s ceiling is sky-high and are happy to throw him in against a 46-fight veteran.
A win of any shape or form for the local man would make a major statement.
Also on the undercard is a thrilling super bantamweight showdown between unbeaten Khaya Mlata and Ardy Katompa, the heavy-hitting DRC fighter who now calls Cape Town home. If it’s true that boxers fight primarily for titles, expect a tense, hard-fought battle with the WBC’s Youth title on the line.
Boxing starts at 7pm with live coverage on SuperSport.
