WBC cruiserweight champion Ilunga Makabu will defend his title against Thabiso Mchunu on Saturday night. The pair have met before, when Makabu came from behind to win by knockout in the eleventh round in 2015.
Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez has previously targeted Makabu as the opponent for his audacious move up to the cruiserweight division. While talk of that fight has cooled in recent weeks, it is safe to say it would cease completely should Makabu lose this fight.
Mchunu is a former WBO cruiserweight title challenger, having been stopped in nine rounds by current WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk in 2016. Makabu is riding a streak of nine wins since his 2016 stoppage defeat at the hands of Tony Bellew. This will be the first time ‘The Junior’ has fought in the United States, after a globetrotting career that has seen him compete in South Africa, Russia, England, Zimbabwe, Luxembourg and his native Democratic Republic of Congo.
The undercard features a controversial heavyweight bout between WBA ‘regular’ champion Trevor Bryan and Jonathan Guidry. The “champion” in this case is not taken seriously as a legitimate world belt-holder, considering Usyk holds the more legitimate WBA ‘super’ title.
The challenger is a late replacement for Mahmoud Charr, who failed to secure a visa. Guidry was given the shot when he appeared in the WBA rankings suddenly this month, despite having not fought since August and not appearing on any previous version of the rankings. Guidry has never had a fight scheduled for over eight rounds, and is ranked 256th in the world by independent body BoxRec. Calling this a world heavyweight title fight is stretching that definition beyond breaking point.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the cruiserweight championship showdown.
Where: Packard Music Hall, Warren, Ohio.
When: Saturday 29th January at 8pm ET, 1am Sunday UK time
How To Watch: Fite TV
Tale Of The Tape:
Makabu
Place Of Birth: Kananga, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Age: 34
Alias: The Junior
Record: 28-2 (25KOs)
Height: 6’0’’
Reach: 74’’
Stance: Southpaw
Last Fight: Makabu retained his WBC cruiserweight championship with a seventh-round TKO over Olanrewaju Durodola. The bout took place in December 2020, meaning the champion has been out of the ring for over a year coming into this Saturday’s card.
Mchunu
Place Of Birth: Ximba, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Age: 33
Alias: The Rock
Record: 45-9 (33KOs)
Height: 6’2½’’
Reach: 77’’
Stance: Orthodox
Last Fight: Mchunu is coming off a unanimous decision win over Olympic gold medalist Evgeny Tishchenko. The South African inflicted the first defeat of Tishchenko’s career in a dominant display, nullifying his opponents height advantage on the way to a comfortable points victory.
What They Say:
Makabu
“I’m at the top [of my sport] and professional. I only focus on what I have in front of me.” [The Ring]
Mchunu
“I'm feeling good. I'm ready for this and I've got to make sure I get this one. I'm fighting for a WBC title and it's every boxer's dream.” [BoxingScene]
Main Card:
Ilunga Makabu vs. Thabiso Mchunu
Trevor Bryan vs. Jonathan Guidry
Alonzo Butler vs. Ahmed Hefny
Johnnie Langston vs. Nick Kisner
Jaymon Woods vs. Shawn Mille
Cody Wilson vs. Tre'sean Wiggins
Michael Moore vs. Anthony Leak
