Nkosi jets off to Saudi Arabia to fight Ju Wu

Nkosi advanced to the second round after stopping Egyptian boxer Marwan Mohamad Madboly in the third round in April.

Nkosi will meet Ju Wu from China in the last-16 at the Global Theatre Boulevard Riyadh City in Riyadh on Friday.

He said: “Preparations went well; I can’t wait for Friday to do what I am known for.”

Regarding his left-handed foe, Nkosi from Mtubatuba in KwaZulu-Natal said: “I saw him in April and I also checked some of his previous fights, he is beatable. I don’t look down upon him, but I did all I could to make sure that I win the fight.

“Time for talking is over; it’s time to fight. I am going in there for victory.”

Nkosi has knocked out five of his eight victims with two losses. He said his stablemate, Reagan Apanu, who fights in the heavyweight division and coach Edison Kazembe, will join them in Saudi Arabia on Thursday.

Apanu defeated Pavol Hrivnak of Czechia on points to chalk up his fourth win in April. The SA-based Congolese will be up against Kevin Ramirez of Argentina.

Two other locals, Keith Gomes and Bhekiziwe “Doctor Sleep” Maitse, will also be in action in Saudi Arabia. Gomes will fight Croatian Alija Mesic in the heavyweight clash. 

Gomes stopped Roberto Medina Aguirre of Mexico in the first round on April 20. Maitse will take on Tanzanian Juma Chokri in the featherweight class. Maitse advanced to the second phase after outpointing Colombian Rodolfo Puentes on April 17.

WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman announced that winners in all weight divisions will earn $200,000 (about R358,940) and the prestigious Jose Sulaiman trophy, which was named after the late WBC president.

The inaugural programme to be staged in Saudi Arabia will feature 128 fighters from 41 countries competing in four weight divisions – featherweight, super lightweight, middleweight and heavyweight. The second phase takes place on June 20-21.

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