Oh, to have been a fly on the wall when Siya Kuse stepped into Brian Mitchell’s gym in Edenvale recently.
Among his stablemates was none other than hot prospect Beaven Sibanda, whom he beat in a rousing fight just two months ago.
Mitchell himself, Kuse’s new manager, laughed off the suggestion that the tension might have been thick.
“He’s now got sparring with some of the best in the world,” he said of the WBC Silver minimumweight champion. “What better than sparring the guy who gave you the hardest fight of your career?”
Mitchell is high on Kuse, believing he is the best at his weight in the world. Having watched WBC champion Melvin Jerusalem in action, Mitchell claims Kuse has his beating.
That, ultimately, is the plan – assuming the Filipino gets past Yudai Shigeoka next month.
“Kuse is the real deal,” said his new manager. “I like him a lot. He works hard. I told him what’s what, mainly about staying in the gym, and he gets it.”
Kusi’s desire for a fresh environment spurred his move from the Eastern Cape, so too the likelihood that the next 12 months could well be the most important of his career, which reflects a four-year unbeaten run.
Kuse, like Sibanda, will have Vusi Mtolo in his corner as he goes in search of a world championship. In terms of injecting new ideas and energy, Mtolo is among the best who can provide these qualities.
Also, there is every intention to push Sibanda, whose performance, even in a losing effort against Kuse, earned much acclaim. Mitchell says that if all goes to plan, he would be positioned to gun for the WBC Silver belt.
