SA fighter Brandon Wilson chases Power Slap title dream in US - TimesLIVE

SA fighter Brandon Wilson has gone from boxing in Gqeberha to becoming one of Power Slap’s unbeaten international heavyweights — and his ultimate goal is to bring a championship belt back home to the Eastern Cape.

There is something unmistakably South African about Wilson’s fighting philosophy. “Remember us South Africans are hard,” he said.

The 28-year-old has taken that toughness from Gqeberha’s boxing gyms to one of the most unusual and controversial combat-sports stages in the world: Power Slap.

Known as the “B-52 Bomber”, Wilson has quickly established himself as one of the promotion’s heavyweight contenders. Power Slap’s official fighter profile lists him at 6ft, 262 pounds (118.8kg), with a 3-0 record and three knockouts, and ranks him No 9 in the heavyweight division. He is currently based in Mitchell, South Dakota.

His latest appearance came at Power Slap 23 in Lubbock, Texas, where he was listed as the No 9 heavyweight against Brian “The Predator” Ellis.

But long before the bright lights and Power Slap rankings, Wilson discovered that fighting came naturally to him.

“I grew up in a tough family where all of us were brave and strong,” said Wilson, the son of well-known Gqeberha security firm owner, Trevor Wilson. “I started boxing as a teenager and fighting came naturally to me. I feel I was born with a talent to fight.”

Boxing eventually led him towards MMA and, with it, a bigger ambition. “After I started boxing and moved onto MMA I developed a will to be a champion. I am determined to be a champion and I will be champion in Power Slap for sure.”

Wilson said his route into slap fighting was hardly conventional, having discovered Power Slap on YouTube. But what convinced him he could make the transition was simple: “confidence in the power of my own hands”.

Power Slap’s official website describes Wilson’s move to the US as a search for better opportunities and a major turning point in his life. So there was little room for self-doubt when his opportunity arrived.

“I never have doubts when going into fights. I just focus and do what I know how to do,” he said.

That confidence is built around one obvious weapon: “I know that I can hit very hard and it won’t be easy for just anyone to withstand it.”

Yet Wilson said there is another side to the sport that is sometimes lost amid the spectacle. “I do, however, always hope that my opponents don’t get too badly injured as it is a violent sport.”

It is hard not to flinch when you know someone is going to slap you in the face but you have got to stand dead still and just take it. The mind is a powerful thing so you have just got to force yourself not to move

The preparation behind the knockouts is relentless. Wilson trains six days a week, combining running with weight training and extensive neck-strengthening work. Then there is his unusual approach to strengthening the jaw. “I chew lots of bubblegum to make my jaw muscles hard,” he laughed.

The physical work is only part of the preparation. Wilson said the mental side of slap fighting occupied his thoughts constantly. “I am mentally prepared to fight any day of the week. It’s all I think about.”

He studies his opponents, convinces himself that he can absorb their best, and then focuses on executing that belief. That preparation becomes especially important when the roles are reversed — when he is the one standing still, waiting to be hit.

“It is hard not to flinch when you know someone is going to slap you in the face but you have got to stand dead still and just take it. The mind is a powerful thing so you have just got to force yourself not to move.”

For Wilson, however, taking the slap is not the most difficult part. “I feel it takes more concentration to deliver the slap. I’ve got to be accurate and slap with speed and power.”

Wilson actually entered the sport under another nickname, Brandon PK Wilson. That changed after someone close to him made a comparison. “Someone close to me once said that I remind them of a B-52 Bomber plane and I guess that stuck and I changed my name to that instead.”

The name now sits prominently beside his unbeaten record on Power Slap’s official roster. And when the few seconds before a bout arrive, Wilson said he deliberately tried to summon anger. “I try to make myself angry before the fight. I need to be angry to win.”

There is, however, an odd contradiction to that process. Wilson said many of his opponents were actually pleasant people. “It’s hard when we are all together before the fight because most of the guys are very nice. But I do have this supply of rage inside me that I can let out. You will normally see it best when my opponents hit me first.”

Wilson’s victory over Brice “Just Hands” Jones at Power Slap 20 in Las Vegas was a major early statement. The official Power Slap results record Wilson beating Jones by TKO in the first round on May 15. At the official weigh-ins, Wilson came in at 259 pounds, while Jones weighed 261.

Wilson remembered the contest with characteristic humour. “It was enough to retire him,” he said.

And the win was significant enough to put Wilson firmly on the promotion’s radar. “I guess they will bump up my rankings now. I haven’t heard anything yet but I guess I should be getting close to the top five now. We are getting there step-by-step.”

His ambitions for the division are uncomplicated. “I am ready to face anyone in the division. I am confident I can beat any one of them.”

And through it all, Wilson has not forgotten where the journey began.

Leaving SA was not straightforward, he said, adding that the process was particularly difficult for his mother, Janine, who constantly worried about him. Now living in the US, he misses his mom, dad and little brother most. He said he also missed his friends, his mother’s partner Jurie and Jurie’s son, who he described as being like a brother to him.

I just keep my eyes on the prize which is that big shiny belt. It’s mine and I’m coming for it. I will bring that belt to my hometown, Gqeberha

And then there is food. “I also miss our food as South African food is the best. I miss the people and the diversity and the culture of my country.

“I just keep my eyes on the prize which is that big shiny belt. It’s mine and I’m coming for it. I will bring that belt to my hometown, Gqeberha.”

For all the talk of rage, power and knockouts, Wilson said his support system was what kept him grounded. His parents are the first people he calls after a big victory.

“My father has always been the hardest person to please. We chat before the fight and as soon as I can, I call him afterwards. He tells me he is so proud of me and that means the world to me.”

His dad, Trevor, the owner of Impact Loss Control, said growing up, his son was always an expressive child. “I am proud of him, he is chasing his dream, and he is writing his name in the stars,” Trevor said.

After a fight, Wilson also calls his mother and Jurie. “They are always there for me. My mother is usually nervous before each fight.”

Asked what he would say to young South Africans dreaming of making it internationally, Wilson simply said: “Eat your vegetables and train hard. You can do anything you put your mind to. Remember us South Africans are hard.”

When the lights come on, the arena fills and another heavyweight stands across from him, Wilson said he only sees one thing: victory.

“I also love all the support I’m getting from the Americans and all South Africans watching.”

For a fighter who has crossed an ocean to chase a championship dream, the destination is clear — the B-52 Bomber wants the belt.