Early in 2020 Jabulani Makhense, who is undoubtedly currently Pretoria’s best emerging professional boxer, will get his big chance to make a breakthrough overseas.

With the help of Golden Gloves promoters, Makhense will fight in Germany on February 8 next year in the same tournament where South Africa’s cruiserweight world champion Kevin Lerena will also defend his International Boxing Organization cruiserweight title against the German veteran, Firat Arslan.

In fact, Makhense is much more than just Pretoria’s best emerging professional boxer. His coach, Sebastian Rothmann, cannot hide his excitement about this young man’s future. According to Rothmann – himself a world champion in his day – Makhense has the ability to become a world star.

South African boxing legend Brian Mitchell also calls him a “future superstar”.

Although Makhense has only climbed through the ropes nine times as a professional boxer, he is already the holder of two continental championship titles.

In February this year he defeated the Xolani Mcotheli from the Eastern Cape in Kempton Park on points to won the vacant World Boxing Association Pan African Super Lightweight title.

Last month he beat the experienced and highly regarded Congolese, Marios Matamba, and thereby he could also write the International Boxing Federation’s Continental Africa Super Lightweigh title behind his name.

This Limpopo native originally came to Pretoria after school to enrol as a student at TUT. However, his parents could not afford the tuition fees and he had to look for another way to secure his future.

That’s how he ended up at Rothmann’s gym. Rothmann said he immediately recognized the young man’s talent and work ethics.

“He is also an intelligent young man who is not only willing to learn, but he can grasp things quickly if I have to work on his technique,” Rothmann told Rekord.

With Makhense’s victory over Matamba, he has now made the two African titles his own. Therefore, the logical next step is probably a chance to box for a world title.

However, Rothmann is not in a hurry for this. He said he would prefer Makhense to gain further experience on the international stage. That is why this opportunity to fight on the undercard when Lerena takes on Arslan in Germany is a wonderful opportunity according to Rothmann.

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