Akani Phuzi failed to qualify for two Olympic Games, but he's adamant he is ready for his biggest step up as a professional to date.
Unbeaten in five bouts, he takes on the vastly more experienced Youssof Kasongo of Congo for the WBA Pan Africa cruiserweight crown at the Blairgowrie recreation centre in Johannesburg on Sunday afternoon.
The bill will be broadcast live on SuperSport from 2pm.
Kasongo comes with a record of eight wins, two losses and a draw, which includes two 10-rounders and three eight-rounders. In total he has notched up 74 rounds in the paid ranks.
Phuzi, who has never been beyond six rounds, has 16 rounds under his belt - for every round Phuzi has fought, Kasongo has more than four-and-a-half.
Phuzi's stablemate at Alan Toweel's Linden gym, bantamweight Rofhiwa Nemushungwa, went into a fight in July on the wrong side of a round count - at 90 to 225, or one to two-and-a-half - and lost on points.
"It is slightly in the back of my mind," admitted Toweel. "But every fighter is different ... I believe Akani will rise to the occasion. I want to see how he's going to handle it. If he loses it's not the end of the world. The decision to take this fight could be right, it could be wrong."
At this point, the 24-year-old boxer entered the conversation. "It's right!" he insisted. "I feel great [about this opportunity]. It's part of the experience."
There's no doubting Phuzi's amateur pedigree with eight national titles, including six at elite level, all in the 90kg division.
He took up the sport as a youngster in Malamulele in Limpopo, training under Eric Baloyi, the father of former multiple world champion Cassius Baloyi.
While many amateurs turn professional at the first opportunity, Phuzi gritted it out as he tried to get to the 2012 Olympics in London and then again to the 2016 Games in Rio.
At the African qualifying tournaments for both showpieces he was eliminated in the quarterfinals.
He never got to the Games, but he had amassed some 120 bouts by the time he decided to turn professional in 2017.
Toweel has seen Kasongo in action in the flesh, ironically on the same bill as Nemushungwa late last year. "He appears to be durable."
He has also seen his fighter grow during his career to date. He beat Chris Thompson on points last year and in a rematch this year stopped him in the second round.
"I think we'll see the best of Akani."..