In a boxing career spanning 14 years, Thabiso Mchunu has never been an easy outing for anyone.

On Saturday, in a bout to be broadcast live on SuperSport, “The Rock” will bring his silky southpaw skills to Russia to challenge former Olympic champion Evgeny Tishchenko.

It will be his second outing to the country in as many fights, having upset former world champion Denis Lebedev in his last sortie to Russia, in late 2019.

If Lebedev was long in the tooth, Tishchenko is in his prime, a fighter on the rise with a remarkable amateur pedigree that included winning gold at the 2016 Olympics and world and European championships.

It’s seldom easy fighting on the road, but Mchunu has done so for many years, venturing to the US for his biggest fights, including a crack at the WBO belt.

Saturday’s fight is an eliminator for the WBC championship, which places a premium on Mchunu producing a winning effort against a fighter who will bring it hard and is known as a banger.

Two other South Africans feature, with unbeaten Lunga Sitimela against Muhammadkhuja Yaqubov and veteran Koos Sibiya matched against fast-rising Zoravor Petrosian.

SuperSport Variety 3 will cross to Ekaterinburg at 7.40pm on Saturday for the live action.