WBC-200 Champ Makabu Defends Against Mchunu; Winner Might Rumble Canelo

By Carlos Costa

WBC cruiserweight world champion Ilunga Makabu is ready to make the 2nd defense of his green ‘n golden belt in a rematch against South African # 1 challenger/WBC silver champ Thabiso Mchunu this Saturday, Jan 29, at the Packard Music Hall in Warren, Ohio.

The two big men already slugged it out 6 years ago in South Africa.

It was a really exciting and conoetitive battle till chapter 11 when Makabu stopped Mchunu. Will that happen again?

The all-African world title rumble is promoted by the controversial Don King, live on PPV.

Don King, who represents Makabu, assured some months ago that he has reached an agreement with Mchunu, for the fight’s winner to go on to defend against Mexican super star “Canelo” Álvarez in May.

That’s what Don King assures.

Would you 100% believe that?

However, to that talk, Canelo’s manager Eddy Reynoso, has not confirm nor denied anything.

But the 90-year-old Don King insists:
“Makabu vs Mchunu will be an action-packed WBC world championship fight with a bigger fight on the horizon for the winner.”

The Hard-hitting champion Makabu (28-2, 25 KO’s), who hails from the Democratic Republic of Congo in Central Africa, defended his belt in his hometown of Kinshasa just 5 weeks ago, stopping Nigeria’s Olanrewaju Durodola with 2 solid left hooks in round 7.

Interestingly, Makabu met Canelo during the last WBC Convention in Mexico where they posed for photos together, Makabu saying that he would love to defend against the super star.

The 34-year-old Makabu claimed the vacant WBC-200 world crown by decisioning Poland’s Michael Cieslak in Kinsasha 2 years ago; his Saturday’s clash against Mchunu will be his firsts one in the USA, will he win it?

Meanwhile, the South African challenger 🇿🇦 Thabiso “The Rock” Mchunu (23-5, 13 KOs) became WBC-200 Silver champ by outpointing Russian veteran Denis Lebedev in Dec of 2019.

The last time “The Rock” Mchunu defended his silver title was a unanimous decision win over Russian 🇷🇺 Evgeny Tishchenko in Russia last March.

🇿🇦 Thabiso has won his last 4 fights after being outpointed by Thomas Oosthuizen.

But the 33-year-old “Rock” has been cracked and knocked out 3 times in his pro boxing career, one time by Makabu. Will Makabu knock him out too?

But if the underdog “Rock” Mchunu Shocks and defeats Makabu this Saturday to become “The New WBC cruiserweight Champion of the World… then he might (might) want to defend against boxing # attraction 🇲🇽 Canelo Álvarez. Will that happen?