Luke ‘Sergeant’ Sutherland is ready to get back into the ring
FOURWAYS – Luke 'Sergeant' Sutherland is ready for his first step towards a rematch with SA's top heavyweight.
Topbox Gymnasium’s pro heavyweight boxer, Luke ‘Sergeant’ Sutherland is ready for another testing fight, this time against South Africa’s second-ranked heavyweight.
Sutherland will take on the more experienced Justice Siliga in a fight at Time Square Casino, Pretoria, on 10 February.
The boxer said Siliga, while being an excellent boxer in his own right, has not fought for some time.
Sutherland thus hopes to punch hard from the get-go to knock his opponent out in the early rounds.
Sutherland’s trainer, Stephen Castle said this was a strong possibility.
“Luke’s odds are very good, in terms of how much he has grown in the last year or two and if he sticks to the game plan we could see a stoppage or him even out-boxing Siliga,” Castle said.
Sutherland sees this fight as his first step towards a rematch with top-ranked heavyweight, Ruann ‘The Giant King’ Visser.
The two fought in an unsanctioned title fight in October last year in Sutherland’s third professional boxing fight.
Sutherland pushed his opponent hard in the early rounds but suffered a cut to his left eye which left it bleeding and blurring his vision.
As a result, Sutherland had to quit two rounds short of finishing the eight rounder.
It was his first and only professional boxing defeat to date.
“I am quite happy to have lost the fight to Visser. I know that must sound crazy, but he felt my power, I rocked him hard,” Sutherland said at the time.
Now, a rematch is on the mind of the heavyweight boxer and his fight against Siliga is the first of many fights that could lead to it.
But the next time the two fight, Sutherland hopes it will be for the South African heavyweight title.
“I want a rematch with Ruann and to give him a run for his money again.”
Details: Topbox Gymnasium info@topbox.co.za; 082 496 9308.
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* Editor’s Note: A previous version of this story failed to credit photographer Christo Smith for the use of his photographs. Fourways Review apologises for this omission.
