Siyakholwa Kuse has vowed to win the WBC mini-flyweight title rematch against Melvin Jerusalem to change the lifestyle of his family in Mdantsane.
Kuse will face the Filipino at Emperors Palace in Kempton Park on May 16 in a fight whose winner could secure a bigger and lucrative unification clash against WBO, WBA and Ring champion Oscar Collazo.
Jerusalem was initially scheduled to face Puerto Rican Collazo in a unification clash in the US this past weekend, but the fight fell off due to budgetary constraints.
Collazo ended up defending his WBO belt by forcing Mexican Jesus Haro to quit at the end of the sixth round, after which he again expressed his ambition to pursue the WBC belt.
This has raised the stakes in the Kuse-Jerusalem clash, with the Mdantsane southpaw confident of avenging his close points decision loss he suffered to the Filipino in Manila in October.
Kuse dominated the early rounds before allowing Jerusalem to rally back down the stretch and win the fight.
Kuse promised to start early and finish strong to ensure he left no doubt that he would be a winner.
“My mistake in the last fight was to fade in the championship rounds, maybe due to inexperience of competing at that level,” he said.
“But this time there will be no repeat of that mistake, as I intend to finish stronger.
“The fact that the fight will be taking place right in my backyard will be an added advantage for me, and I cannot thank my promoter Golden Gloves enough for affording me a home ground advantage.
“After my loss I figured that I would have to fight my way back to title contention, not knowing that I would get an immediate rematch, much less in my own backyard.
“This is what happens when you have a good team behind you, and all I have to do is to handle my end of the business by bringing this belt to the Golden Gloves family.”
There were concerns about Kuse’s future when he dumped his mentor Mla Tengimfene and defected from the All Winners Boxing Club to the Brian Mitchell Academy in Johannesburg.
Having saved Kuse and his career from drug addiction, which saw him surrender the SA title to Bangile Nyangani, Tengimfene enrolled the boxer in a rehabilitation centre and helped him regain his title by beating Nyangani in a rematch.
While he was cast in a bad light in local boxing circles and labelled disloyal, Kuse insisted his decision was motivated by the drive to provide for his family, which depends on him.
“My move to Johannesburg allowed me to financially support my family, as I have secured sponsorship deals and not only rely on my fight earnings,” he said.
“But winning this WBC title will be the biggest financial benefit for my family, and that is my drive going into this fight.
“I want to buy them a big house.”
Kuse will be the second SA boxer to contest for the WBC belt at home after the late Dingaan Thobela did so when he dramatically knocked out Englishman Glen Catley in the 12th and last round to win the WBC super-middleweight belt in 2000.