CHRIS KONGO walks his way back toward the ropes, invites pressure from a stumbling Luther Clay before delivering two venomous left hooks.And just like that, 16 months of agony away from the squared circled are wiped from his memory as Clay’s corner mercifully throw the towel in. A systematic beatdown.
Kongo takes on Michael McKinson in a welterweight clash tonight in GibraltarCredit: /Dave Thompson#3/ Matchroom Boxing
Chris Kongo is undefeated as a pro, as is Michael McKinsonCredit: /Dave Thompson#3/ Matchroom Boxing
It was touted as a 50-50 affair, just like Kongo’s clash with Michael McKinson tonight has been, too.
For the second successive fight night, Kongo will be gunning for a win before watching manager Dillian Whyte in the main event against Russian veteran Alexander Povetkin – but this time, he’ll be doing it in Gibraltar.
Kongo exclusively tells SunSport: “I boxed abroad loads as an amateur.
“I was always boxing in Europe. One of my best performances was out in Holland, I was the only one from the London team to come out with the win, little things like that I remember.
“It’s a great experience but I always knew I would be on this big stage and it’s about time. I had my hardships like not fighting for 16 months but when I was out I was training and ready for the call.”
Hardship isn’t anything new to Kongo, though. The Bermondsey native has loved boxing from the very beginning, but like plenty of teenagers up and down the country, he, too, was led astray as a 16-year-old.
“I grew up in Bermondsey, I’m literally five minutes away from Jamaica Road,” he adds. “I have all my friends here, but they’ve always been more interested in football.
“And there were times where gang culture was very high.
“I did get involved in gang culture and I’ve been stabbed before myself when I was 16. That showed me where I don’t want to be and now I know where I need to be.”
McKinson, who donned a Portsmouth shirt while Kongo sat kitted out in his Millwall threads at Thursday’s press conference, could prove to be another stumbling block in Kongo’s life.
He’s 19-0 and your archetypal slick southpaw with as much skill as many of the welterweights on the domestic scene.
Kongo explains, in as relaxed a voice as possible, that he doesn’t care what McKinson can do in the ring, as he’s got bigger fish to fry once Saturday is all said and done.
“McKinson brings more experience than Clay, he’s fought the better opponents, he brings a different style, he’s a southpaw but I’m ready to overcome all of that and give him his first loss,” Kongo says.
“The world rankings are the way I want to go, I don’t want to fight Josh Kelly or Florian Marku.
“Marku has had eight or nine fights so why would I want to fight him. I wanted to fight him as a last minute opponent back in December but he wasn’t interested. He fought someone else and got a draw.
“I came back from 16 months out the ring and I didn’t just beat an active fighter, I knocked him out. That shows the level I’m at.
“The level I’m talking about is being a multi-weight world champion. Right now it’s my time to go up and no-one is going to stop me.”
Chris Kongo last fought against Luther Clay in August, winning by 9th-round TKOCredit: Dave Thompson Matchroom Boxing
Chris Kongo is managed by Saturday night’s headliner Dillian WhyteCredit: Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing
A win would likely propel Kongo to No 6 in the WBO rankings, with Vergil Ortiz Jr, Egidijus Kavaliauskas, Shawn Porter and world champion Terence Crawford occupying spots in the upper echelons of that particular bracket.
Those are the names, as well as Errol Spence Jr, that Kongo wants to mix with.
He fawns over the big name boxers he watched growing up, Sugar Ray Leonard, Mike McCallum, Roy Jones Jr, Mike Tyson, Vernon Forrest and Pernell Whittaker, before committing his boxing future to legacy rather than money.
“I loved boxing way before money got involved,” Kongo says eloquently.
“It’s all about the legacy. There’s always issues to do with money, Crawford and Spence don’t want to get it on because they’re talking about percentages.”
Terence Crawford is the WBO welterweight champion and a target of Chris Kongo’sCredit: AP
Those two names pop up again moments later when Kongo reveals they’re both on his welterweight radar.
A big night in Las Vegas against one of the top pound-for-pound best fighters in the world, perhaps?
“I’d love to fight Crawford and Spence… but how cool would it be to have a Bermondsey boy fighting at The Den one day instead of Las Vegas?” More
