Phumelela Cafu’s first visit to the US got off to a hilarious start when he got lost during a morning run and had to be helped back to his lodgings by police.
Cafu is in Las Vegas, where he is spending a week of his preparations for his world unification title clash against Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez at The Ford Centre at The Star in Frisco, Texas, on Saturday next week.
The Duncan Village star will risk his WBO junior bantamweight belt against Rodriguez’s WBC and Ring belts in a blockbuster clash promoted by heavyweight British promoter Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing.
The fight will top an eight-bout card to be streamed live on DAZN, also featuring a tasty super middleweight clash between unbeaten US star Diego Pacheco and compatriot Trevor McCumby, with the winner expected to get a world title shot.
The trip is Cafu’s second abroad and his first to the US, where he is looking to introduce himself with an upset against the home favourite.
Cafu dethroned Kosei Tanaka in Japan in October but has found his Las Vegas sojourn a bit tricky to negotiate.
He got lost during a morning run but was rescued by police officers who took him back to the house where he is staying.
Cafu’s manager, Colin Nathan, said he was alerted by the officers on his social media account about the fighter’s whereabouts when he woke up and found him missing.
“Fortunately, I had my Instagram active and that helped a great deal,” he said.
“The officers were able to escort Cafu back to the house, and we all laughed about it as they even took photos with him and wished him good luck.”
Nathan said Cafu would fly out of Las Vegas on Monday to Dallas for the fight.
He faces a busy schedule, including public workouts and engagements with the media.
“We will come up face to face with Bam on Tuesday and the media workout is scheduled for Wednesday.”
Cafu is confident of scoring another upset after coming in as a dark horse to hold the feared Jackson Chauke to a draw in an SA flyweight title challenge at East London’s International Convention Centre in March 2022.
Cafu was initially announced as the winner before the result was changed a day later when it was found that the ring announcer had been misled by the fight supervisor.
He beat Chauke in the return match, though the title was not at stake.
Beating Tanaka, who was a four-division world champion, in an international boxing upset further enhanced his reputation..
“I have always proven doubters wrong, and it will be no different against Rodriguez,” Cafu said.
Rodriguez is so heavily favoured to win the bout that he has already been scheduled to fight WBA champion Fernando Martinez for the undisputed junior bantamweight title in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on November 22.
Daily Dispatch
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