Cat Fight
If Vuyisile Colossa is a bit of a mouthful, when you meet the South African kickboxer, it is OK to call him Cheetah. In his home country he is commonly known as the Black Cheetah and for good reason – as bc found out.
 
Colossa, sorry Cheetah, is young, cheerful and confident – even a bit cocky. When we ask how he came by the animal nickname, he swings back, “The Cheetah is the quickest animal in the jungle, and I am the fastest in the ring.” He also wears a “jungle outfit” to fight. “I am quick. I am powerful… and I am good looking. Looks are very important!” Cocky, huh?
 
Currently the middleweight champion of the South African Professional Kick Boxing Council, Cheetah will take on Thai superstar Naroepol Fairtex at Planet Battle on June 25. But Cheetah is not intimidated, calling his Thai opponent, “young and upcoming but not a threat – he is nothing to me,” and he is also quick to sneer when we want to know if he would like to win the fight as part of the celebrations for his 26th birthday, three days later. “I would not like to win it, I am gonna win it,” he tells us. “When a cheetah says it is going to win, it is going to win.” In fact, he doesn’t like to receive presents on his birthday. He’d rather dedicate himself as a gift to Hong Kong people, though he has only been settled in the city for two months. “Hong Kong people have never seen a cheetah fight live. Now they can, and they can watch me on TV and DVD too!”
 
Cheetah has an impressive professional record of 18 wins (11 KO’s) and three losses out of his 21 fights. He started training as a kickboxer at 15, although he says he has been fighting “off the record” since the day he was born. He rates a knockout as the perfect finish to any kickboxing bout. “My most memorable fight was against a guy who used to be a big name… he is tall and everything,” he says. “But he fell within 30 seconds with just one punch – boom! He slept for more than two minutes. Touch wood, he woke up! It’s the best feeling ever. Why bother wasting my time?”
 
Does he plan to do the same in the upcoming match? He shrugs his shoulders. “It depends on the mood of the Cheetah. If the Cheetah is really hungry he wants to end it quick. If not, he plays with his enemy!” Surprisingly he now trains only two hours a day and would rather not tense himself out. ‘Fun’ is the keyword to a fight – he even calls his fighting style Jungle Mambo – and who can blame him? After all, the young Cheetah developed his love for fighting and martial arts watching films of action heroes like Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan!
 
Fourteen other world-class heavyweight fighters from countries including Turkey, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Brazil will also be competing in the Planet Battle. Particularly look out for New Zealand’s WMC Super Heavyweight Champion, Andrew Peck, and Hong Kong’s star player Alain N’Galani, the 2006 Kuoshu All-Style Martial Arts World Champion and 2004 HK Muay Thai Heavyweight Champion (WMC).
 
What: Planet Battle
When: 6pm (doors open), June 25
Where: HITEC Star Hall 
How much: $1,600, $600, $450 from HK Ticketing, 31 288 288 and all Tom Lee outlets.
Enquiries: 9726 1333

Rugby Reminder
Donated by and named after a former governor general of New Zealand, Lord Bledisloe, the Bledisloe Cup is the winner’s trophy in an annual contest between the Wallabies and the All Blacks, the national rugby teams of Australia and New Zealand. The competition was introduced in the early 1930s, but for the first time in its history one of the matches will be contested outside its competing countries when Hong Kong becomes a neutral venue this November. Rugby lovers, mark it in your diaries, tickets go on sale on July 28.

What: Bledisloe Cup 2008
When: November 1, tickets go on sale July 28
Where: HK Stadium 
How much: $1,080, $980, $880 from HK Ticketing, 31 288 288
Enquiries: www.hkrugby.com

Cheer the Olympics!
The starting gun of the ‘Sport for All’ event, the 2008 Olympic Day Run, will sound at 8:30am on Sunday, June 22, at the Wanchai Sports Ground. The 4.7km course will pass prestigious landmarks like the HK Convention & Exhibition Centre and Golden Bauhinia Square. With the theme ‘We’re CheeRunners’, this year’s run is an appeal to Hong Kong people to support the city’s athletes at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and also an encouragement to follow a healthy lifestyle.

What: 2008 Olympic Day Run
When: June 22
Where: Start and finish at Wanchai Sports Ground
How much: Entry fee $30 for individuals and $3,000 for 10-person team (apply before June 11, quota limited); Free to watch
Enquiries: 2504 8215 or www.hkolympic.org