Junior Makabu is one of the continent’s biggest punchers of the past 10 years and this weekend he plans on making it all come together when he fights England’s Tony Bellew for the WBC cruiserweight championship.
The tournament will be broadcast live on SS9 from 8pm on Sunday.
Makabu is stepping into Bellew’s beloved Goodison Park, the home of Everton FC, for what he expects to be a grand homecoming before his Merseyside supporters.
Sadly for him, it could end in embarrassment given Makabu’s frightening power and Bellew’s less than rigid defence.
Bellew shot to prominence with a starring role in the latest Rocky film franchise, Creed, but he will soon discover that you need more than good acting chops when fighting someone like Makabu.
The DRC boxer was based in South Africa until recently, after which he packed his bags and decamped to Las Vegas where he joined former champion Eddie Mustafa Muhammad’s stable.
The gifted southpaw lost his pro debut in 2008, but then went on a 19-fight winning streak, all but one ending via knockout.
A fierce body puncher, Makabu is a one-shot KO artist who patiently waits for openings before exploding into action. When he does, it’s usually swift and brutal.
Said Makabu: “By round three he’ll start to cry for his mother from the punishment I give him. In round four, he’ll then cry for his father but both of them and nobody else can come in the ring to help him. They will be crying together with his fans outside of the ring.”
Bellew will be a willing customer, which could make him vulnerable. In the Briton’s biggest fight, against Adonis Stevenson in 2013, he was knocked out early – and that was at light-heavyweight.
He’s easy to hit and probably doesn’t carry enough power, certainly not at the higher cruiserweight limit, to trouble Makabu. He’ll be on his toes early and try and test Makabu, but it’s hard seeing this going any way but the short route with Makabu the man left standing.
