Shaun McMinnie laughs when asked about the biggest challenge in training one of Africa’s most exciting heavyweight prospects. It isn’t strategy, conditioning, or even finding the right sparring – it’s convincing Jose Kadima to stay away.
“The only time he doesn’t listen is when I ask him not to come to gym,” McMinnie says. “After he knocked out Johnny Muller, he wanted to come back the Monday. I sent him to the beach at Umhlanga instead, for three days. He’s on the warpath, so my challenge is getting him to understand the value of rest.”
That hunger, bordering on obsession, has been at the heart of Kadima’s rise to 8-0. Next month at Emperors Palace, the unbeaten heavyweight takes another step up, facing Herbert Matovu for the WBC Africa title. It’s a bout that could announce Kadima as a genuine force on the continental stage, and according to his trainer, it’s coming at exactly the right time.
“It’s such a blessing working with him,” says McMinnie, a former pro fighter himself. “With each fight he’s getting better by one percent, always getting more refined. In the Johnny fight he proved it to himself: when he switches on and takes the fight to them, he ends it when he wants to. His confidence is at another level. It was already high, now he’s buzzing.”
That confidence is being paired with a more calculated approach in camp. Kadima’s natural power has long been his calling card, but McMinnie insists this phase is about adding layers rather than relying solely on brute force.
“He’s really fit. This camp is about sharpening his skills. He’s not here to play. He’s refining his tools,” McMinnie explains. “Everyone talks about him being a devastating puncher. It’s about compounding that belief. So much can improve . . . he’s nowhere near fully developed. He’s learning all the time. I’d hate to see what devastation he can cause when he’s 10-0 or 14-0.”
A key shift has been the quality and consistency of sparring. Previous camps did not always provide the same level of opposition, but this time McMinnie made sure Kadima was constantly tested.
“People are in for a big surprise,” he says. “One fundamental change to this recent camp is we had a constant flow of sparring partners. We never had that before. In the last camp we flew in a tough cruiserweight from Cape Town and just sparred and sparred. This past weekend we were in Joburg sparring with Ethan Peters and Jason Medi.”
The feedback from those sessions has only reinforced the belief that Kadima is closing in on something special.
“Jason said no one pushes him back, and he’s worked with every top heavyweight in South Africa. He said it was the hardest he had ever been hit.”
Matovu, however, represents a different kind of challenge. From the footage they have studied, the Uganda-born fighter appears likely to rely on movement and ring IQ rather than trading power shots.
“We’ve seen some footage of Matovu, who is a mover. I told Kadima he’d try and frustrate him with movement,” the trainer explains. “Our focus will be on cutting off the ring.”
While Matovu may look to turn the fight tactical, McMinnie remains confident in both Kadima’s offensive firepower and defensive resilience.
“Matovu isn’t the biggest puncher, but nor is he a threat to Kadima,” he says. “Kadima isn’t a soft heavyweight. He’s as hard as a rock. He can take a shot too. Lerena, ‘Potties’ [Shaun Potgieter] and Ethan have all teed off on him. He didn’t budge, no one rocked him. I have a firm belief in his chin.”
That combination – unyielding durability, improving craft, and a fighter who needs to be dragged away from the gym – makes for an intriguing prospect as the WBC Africa title comes into view.
For McMinnie, though, the balancing act continues. Between sharpening a dangerous talent and protecting him from his own relentless drive, the veteran trainer knows the margins are fine.
Because if Kadima’s current trajectory is anything to go by, the hardest work may not be building a champion, but slowing one down just enough to make the journey last.
Photograph Credits: Golden Gloves
