EDITED PRESS RELEASE- Loyalties will be split right down the middle when Nkqubela Gwazela and Khulile Makheba clash in a junior bantamweight showdown at the Orient Theatre in East London this Friday night (June 17).The ten-round match-up between two of the Eastern Cape's favourite sons will be a career-defining one for both men. Gwazela, a former South African flyweight champion, is stepping up in weight to take on the challenge, while Makheba, the South African bantam title-holder, is shedding weight. The most intriguing thing about this mouth-watering local match-up, is that  the winner would move into position for a regional title bout against another Eastern Cape boxer, former three-time world champion, Hawk Mkepula. Makepula  himeself must get past the tough Russian Andrei Kostin just a week later at the same venue. "As you can now see, it's literally do-or-die for both boxers on Friday and unfortunately the loser will have to be content with nothing more than undercard status at big events in the future," said promoter Branco Milenkovic.  For the winner, however, it is  q uite clear that the road forward is paved with international prospects.  This is a classic showdown between Gwazela the power-punching fighter (13-2 with 11 KOs) and Makheba the boxer (20-4-1) and the fanatical East London boxing public are guaranteed their money's worth. Gwazela lost his regional title in the Boxing South Africa boardroom after failing a routine dope test on September 24th, 2004 following his fight against Moruthi Mathalane. He is rated #26 in the Boxingtalk ratings. The southpaw Makheba lost his national crown on points to Simphiwe Vetyeka at Graceland Casino in Mpumalanga on February 4th.
