On Wednesday, South Africa’s Siyakholwa “One Way” Kuse will step into the cauldron of the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, Philippines.
It’s a stage steeped in boxing legend, the very site where Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier immortalised themselves 50 years ago in the “Thrilla in Manila.”
For Kuse, this isn’t just a world title shot against WBC mini-flyweight champion Melvin Jerusalem; it’s a rendezvous with destiny, a chance to forge a legacy literally fought for, against a backdrop of personal redemption.
Kuse’s path to this grand stage is a staggering testament to the power of the human spirit. Hailing from the impoverished Eastern Cape, his early life was marred by the harsh realities of poverty, which led him down a dark, bad spell of drug addiction.
His manager, Mlandeli Tengimfene, famously had to “cleanse” a “zombie, weak, underweight, and heavily dehydrated” Kuse, nursing him back from near-death to a fighting weight. He fought his way out of the shadows, earning the moniker “One Way” by choosing a straight path to success in the ring.
Every punch he throws in Manila will be a blow against his past, a literal fight to put food on his table and ensure his family’s future. The quiet, unassuming man who has already conquered the WBC Silver title now stands on the precipice of becoming one of South Africa’s most highly-rated fighters.
The challenge before him is formidable. Champion Melvin “El Gringo” Jerusalem is a seasoned professional with a dangerous blend of technical skill and.
Jerusalem (24-3, 12 KOs) is a calculated, orthodox fighter with a high Fight IQ. His key advantages lie in his exceptional footwork and evasive head movement. He manoeuvres in and out of range, using lateral and diagonal shifts to create openings while making himself a difficult target.
He employs diverse, fast, and precise punching combinations, with the jab often serving as his range-finder and set-up punch. Fighting in his home country, he’ll have the passionate, partisan Filipino crowd behind him, a factor that cannot be overstated in a close fight.
Kuse (9-2-1, 4 KOs) is a southpaw with a fluid, all-action style. His victory for the WBC Silver title against Beaven Sibanda highlighted his best attributes: dancing footwork that offers angles of attack and solid counter-punching.
He thrives on meeting aggression with resistance, as he showed in his furious, high-paced exchanges during the middle and late rounds of that bout. Kuse’s southpaw stance presents a natural difficulty for the orthodox champion, offering unique angles that can disrupt Jerusalem’s rhythm.
To snatch the famous green and gold belt in the lion’s den, Kuse cannot afford a tentative start.He must be perfect.
WHAT KUSE MUST DO TO WIN
1. Control the Distance with the southpaw stance: Kuse’s left hand, particularly his straight left and left uppercut, must be sharp and accurate. He needs to use his southpaw lead hand to control the space, disrupting Jerusalem’s rhythm and preventing the champion from dictating the range with his jab.
2. Win the footwork battle: Jerusalem is lauded for his movement. Kuse must match or better this, particularly by pivoting off the ropes and avoiding being a static target. He needs to leverage his own dancing footwork to create angles and force Jerusalem to reset, nullifying the champion’s composed, technical attack.
3. Mental fortitude in the cauldron: The arena will roar for Jerusalem. For Kuse, his extraordinary backstory must serve as his armor. He is fighting for a cause far greater than a belt, his life’s redemption. He must draw on that strength, remain quiet and clinical, and not allow the hostile atmosphere or any early setbacks to shake his focus. He must be prepared for a gruelling, 12-round war.
This is Kuse’s moment. Stepping into Manila, the “One Way” path leads directly to the top of the boxing world, an intimidating but glorious stage where one hard, determined South African is ready to trade his troubled past for a golden future.
The bout will be live streamed on the iME platform: https://tinyurl.com/iMEStreamThrillainManila
It will also be broadcast live on SuperSport Variety 4 from 12 noon.
