Deon Potgieter boxing
Following the Hassim Rahman-Lennox Lewis “Thunder in Africa” bill at Carnival City in April, locals have dubbed this weekend’s Jan Bergman world title challenge, the “Bliksem in Brakpan”.
Bergman, one of the best local combatants never to have won a world title, gets his third crack at a crown on Saturday night. Bergman has fought for the International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior-welterweight title twice unfortunately both times he faced boxers regarded as greats of the division and lost by stoppage. Five years ago he fought Kostya Tszyu and then Zeb Judah two years ago. Tszyu relinquished the IBF title and now holds the World Boxing Council (WBC) crown.
Following a long layoff Bergman returned to action at Carnival City in February and stopped national welterweight champion Joseph Makaringe with his famed left hook. It was one of the most devastating punches seen at the venue and could also have served as inspiration for the “Bliksem in Brakpan” tagline.
Bergman who has a tally of 39 wins and three losses with 30 knockouts knows this is a do-or-die fight. A loss would end his efforts on the international stage. A win, on the other hand, could open the door to a very lucrative contest.
Rodney Berman, who also promotes Sugar Shane Moseley, is keen on bringing the WBC welterweight champion to South Africa in October and has promised Bergman that if he wins he would get the opportunity to face the man widely regarded as the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world.
Bergman, one of the few remaining drawcards in South African boxing, would be the ideal candidate to attract the crouds to a Moseley bout. “Jan realises this is his last chance and is very focused,” says Bergman’s trainer/ manager Harold Volbrecht. “He slipped up against Judah, because he wasn’t focused on the fight and also took it on short notice.”
Bergman’s world title bid is not going to be an easy one. His opponent, Guillermo Mosuera, is a slick fighter with a record of 37 wins, four losses, one draw with 17 knockouts. He’s very well conditioned and has never been stopped. Bergman will have to dig deep and probably work the full 12 rounds to win the title. It is likely to be a battle royal, however, along the lines of when Bergman battered Naas Scheepers in the fight of the year in 1998.
Mosuera, a Columbian who fights out of New Zealand, is 37 years old, though, so if Bergman can land enough body blows in the early rounds he might be able to set his opponent up for a late knockout.
Philip Ndou is looking to post his 25th knockout in 27 fights when he takes on Dom-ingo Damigella in the main supporting bout. Ndou has been promised a crack at the World Boxing Union junior-lightweight world title on the proposed October bill if he can dispose of his Argentinian opponent.