Rodney Berman heads to Kiev in Ukraine this week to fight the case for several of SA’s boxers at the 56th WBC Convention, which opens on Sunday.
“If you’re not there, it’s a case of out of sight, out of mind – I must represent Golden Gloves’ elite boxers,” said the Golden Gloves promoter.
He says he will be pushing hard for Thulani Mbenge, rated 14th, to ensure he continues his welterweight rise and, more importantly, tell influential people about his merits as a top-class fighter.
He will also be reminding the ratings committee of cruiserweight Kevin Lerena’s excellence, not least because he’s dropped to eighth in the rankings on account of being injured. “I’m very anxious that Kevin remains in the top 10; it’s where he deserves to be.”
Having seen Ryno Liebenberg reinvented at super-middleweight, Berman will also be giving the committee a nudge on the boxer’s behalf. Liebenberg is way beyond even the twilight of his career, but there’s no doubt he has been rejuvenated, so there’s an outside chance Berman could work his magic and land something big.
Former heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko, now the mayor of Kiev, will be welcoming delegates from Sunday, who will include an array of former and current champions.
