Golden Gloves Promotions (GGP) have attributed the removal of Mdantsane’s Siyakholwa Kuse from next Sunday’s Japanese tournament to a change of heart by the organisers.
Kuse was scheduled to defend his WBC mini-flyweight title against Ryusei Matsumoto at the Tokyo Arena in a historic event for SA boxing as he would have shared the stage with stablemate Ricardo Malajika.
Malajika will vie for the vacant WBC junior bantamweight belt against another Japanese boxer, Tomoya Tsuboi, in what would have been the first time two SA boxers contest WBC titles in one show.
GGP, which promotes Kuse and Malajika, confirmed Kuse would no longer feature in the bout after Matsumoto’s team decided to take another world title route.
“The Japanese promoter decided to go via the WBO route for their fighter instead,” GGP director Nivi Grogor said.
“We are now exploring other options for Kuse, and we will make an announcement in due course.”
Kuse has since been replaced by Mexican Russel Acosta Silveira, who will face Matsumoto in a battle of unbeaten boxers for the WBO interim title in the same five-bout tournament.
The show is promoted by Japan’s biggest promoter, Teiken Promotions, which ironically was responsible for another historic SA moment when it featured KuGompo City boxers Sivenathi Nontshinga and Phumelela Cafu in world titles in a space of two days in different cities in Japan in October 2024.
Despite the mission now resting on Malajika alone, Grogor said the current IBO champion would return home with the WBC belt to add to Kuse’s achievement of winning it when he dethroned Filipino Melvin Jerusalem in a rematch in May.
“Obviously we would have loved for Kuse to be part of the historic moment in Japan, but all is not lost as Malajika will fly the SA flag high,” she said.
She could not confirm reports that Kuse was earmarked to defend the title against DianXing Zhu in China on November 28.
While Kuse missed out on the historic mission, GGP is still upbeat about adding the third prestigious belt in SA boxing when Malajika faces unbeaten three-bout novice Tsuboi.
Besides Kuse’s WBC triumph, SA also produced another champion when female boxer Bernice Ferreira captured the green and gold belt by dethroning Canadian-based Frenchwoman Caroline Veyre for the junior lightweight version in August.
Grogor said Malajika would turn back time by winning the title on the day celebrating his manager, Brian Mitchell, winning his first world title when he dethroned Panamanian Alfredo Layne for the WBA junior lightweight title on September 27 in 1986.
BSA chair Ayanda Khumalo said she was confident Malajika would rise above the challenge in Japan and return with the belt.
“I am looking forward to Malajika coming back with the belt, and I will be at the airport to welcome him.”
Daily Dispatch