Siyakholwa Kuse pushes champion Jerusalem all the way

Siyakholwa Kuse may have fallen short in his attempt to become world champion after losing a unanimous points decision to WBC straw-weight king Melvin Jerusalem in the Philippines on Wednesday night.

But the South African gave as good as he got, making the boxing world sit up and take notice on an evening that celebrated the anniversary of one of the sport’s most memorable battles.

Kuse and Jerusalem traded leather at the Araneta Coliseum in Manila — exactly 50 years since Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali dished out that gloriously brutal contest dubbed The Thrilla in Manila.

Theirs might not have been as iconic, but Kuse and Jerusalem served up an entertaining bout that the champion edged via two 115–113 scores and one 116–112 ruling. The fight looked much closer than the judges’ scorecards suggested, as Kuse appeared to have shaded several of the early rounds with his aggressive, front-foot approach and fearless attitude.

A late replacement for original challenger Daniel Valladares — a former champion who withdrew due to visa issues — Kuse showed no signs of being overawed by the occasion. His polished display belied the fact that this was his first fight outside South Africa and his debut on the world-title stage.

He began confidently, taking the fight to the champion in the opening round, though his punches lacked the sting to trouble Jerusalem. There was a clash of heads in the second round before Kuse slipped and fell, but he recovered quickly to land a sharp straight punch.

Jerusalem began to assert himself from the fourth round, drawing blood from Kuse’s nose in the fifth. Still, the challenger used his excellent footwork and head movement to make the champion miss wildly at times.

Trained by Manny Fernandez and assisted by the great Brian Mitchell, Kuse started to fade slightly in the later rounds and was pinned against the ropes at one stage, as the crowd — which included the legendary Manny Pacquiao, who also promoted the event — roared Jerusalem on.

In the end, all three judges gave the fight to the Filipino, but Kuse was far from disgraced. He proved himself a genuine world-level contender and an exciting prospect for South African boxing — an impressive feat for a man stepping into just his 13th professional bout.