Ryno Liebenberg’s have-gloves-will-travel philosophy has earned him a major fight in Germany early next year with WBA number four Vincent Feigenbutz lined up for the popular South African.
Golden Gloves boss Rodney Berman has agreed terms with Sauerland Promotions, who also imported Liebenberg for fights against Enrico Koelling and Erik Skoglund last year, all of them tight affairs that showed Liebenberg’s traditional grit.
Now fighting at super-middleweight, the South African will have his hands full. The German is a formidable puncher with 24 knockouts in his 27 wins (two defeats) and last year challenged unsuccessfully for the WBA title.
Apart from his rating with the WBA, he is ranked fifth by the IBF and 13th by the WBO, which puts Liebenberg in an excellent position to earn a top 10 spot – if he can torpedo the dangerous home-town fighter.
Liebenberg knows the risks of fighting overseas, but he always trains hard and backs himself, no matter the odds.
“He was rejuvenated against Patrick Mukala in his last fight at super-middleweight, so there’s no reason he can’t have a run at this weight,” said Berman. “He looks so comfortable here. Feigenbutz might have power, but it’s nothing like the bigger light-heavies.”
Despite his impressive record, the 22-year-old has fought few name fighters, the best of them former WBA champion Giovanni De Carolis.
Liebenberg, by contrast, has mixed with top-tenners like Tommy Oosthuizen, Eleider Alvarez, Skoglund and Koelling and was thoroughly competitive each time.
Now 33, he admits he is in the twilight of his career, but the new weight has stirred new challenges; challenges Liebenberg desperately wants to meet.
