HE'S not a Sugar Ray Leonard in terms of skill. He is also not a Brian Mitchell in terms of sheer hard work; but his enthusiastic devotion to the cause makes Ryno "The Lion" Liebenberg a Marvin Hagler type fighter.

The 30-year-old boxer from Krugersdorp, on the West Rand, has imperceptively worked his way to a point where even his detractors now describe him as a future world champion.

Liebenberg has always been just another boxer on boxing programs despite having won the IBO All-Africa, the same organisation's Inter-Continental, WBC Silver International and the same sanctioning body's international light heavyweight belts in a career that started in 2010.

But his consistency, undefeated in 15 fights with 11 short-route wins, has earned the reigning WBC Gold International champion the opportunity to headline a boxing tournament.

Trained by Colin "Nomakanjani" Nathan, Liebenberg will top Golden Gloves Promotion's tournament on August 9 at Emperors Palace against Russian Denis "Drago's Son" Grachev for the WBC Silver belt.

Grachev, 31, is the former WBC Youth Inter-Continental and NABF light heavyweight champ.

He has fought top-name fighters like Lucian Bute, Dingaan Thobela and Andre Thysse. In his last fight on March 15, Grachev dropped a points decision over 10 rounds to Isaac "Golden Boy" Chilemba in Pennsylvania, US. That was Grachev's third defeat against 13 wins and eight stoppages.

Speaking to Sowetan yesterday, businessman and married father of two Liebenberg said: "This is by far my biggest fight. I have taken six weeks off from work. Victory will mean the end of my day job."

"I will need to focus [solely] on boxing after August 9 because I will have won a much bigger title. "

He said Grachev's style of fighting was similar to his. "But I will be on song - everything he does, I will dot it twice as well."

In the main supporting bout of the tournament dubbed "Silver Salvo" Thabo Sonjica will put his IBO junior featherweight against Roli Gasca of the Philippines.