Brian Mitchell will be in the corner as a second to chief cornerman Manny Fernandes when Siyakholwa Kuse challenges WBC mini flyweight champion Melvin Jerusalem at the Araneta Coliseum, Quezon City in Manila, in the Philippines, on October 29.
The former WBA and IBF junior-lightweight world champion manages the career of Kuse, who is trained by Fernandes at Mitchell’s Boxing Academy in Edenvale.
It has been 19 years since Mitchell, now a SuperSport commentator, manned a boxer’s corner. That was back in 2006 when Mitchell’s charge, IBO junior-lightweight titlist Cassius “Hitman” Baloyi, won the IBF belt via an 11th-round stoppage of Mexico’s former five-time featherweight world champion, Manuel Medina, in Spokane, US.
At that time, Mitchell was living in the US but still managed Baloyi, who was trained by Nick “Mthakathi” Durandt.
Mitchell assisted Durandt in the corner, but the two were in opposite corners at Carnival City in 2001 when Durandt’s fighter Phillip “Time Bomb” Ndou defeated Baloyi in their brutal, energy-sapping 12-rounder.
Mitchell, Fernandes, Kuse and Fernandes’ son Richard Fernandes flew out to the Philippines on Tuesday.
Kuse’s upcoming fight will be part of the tournament to mark the 50th anniversary of the “Thrilla in Manila”, the third fight between Muhammad Ali and Joseph “Smokin’ Joe” Frazier.
That fight, which Ali won by the 15th-round stoppage, took place on October 1 1975, at the same venue as the Kuse-Jerusalem clash.
That tournament on October 29 will be organised by MP Promotion of former eight-division world champion Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao, who won his second world title from Lehlohonolo “Hands of Stone” Ledwaba in 2001.
The Filipino, who held the WBC flyweight belt, dethroned Ledwaba as the IBF junior-featherweight champion at MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.
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