Still reeling from the Siyabulela Hem-Bongani Mahlangu rematch debacle, Boxing SA’s sanctioning committee has incurred more ire after it turned down a bout between provincial champion Aphiwe Mboyiya and Lindokuhle Dlamini scheduled for East London’s Orient Theatre on Saturday next week.
The fight was meant to serve as a supporting bout to Zolisa Batyi’s SA featherweight title defence against Cape Town’s Abdul-Aziz Kunert, promoted by KayB Promotions.
Mboyiya is fresh from a scintillating sixth-round stoppage victory over Chumani Tunzi for the provincial junior welterweight title in August, snapping a two-fight losing streak.
Though his approval to fight for the provincial crown coming off a loss also left the sanctioning committee with egg on its face, its decision to turn down his clash against Dlamini has left the boxing fraternity in a tailspin.
The committee, chaired by former SA lightweight champion Irvin Buhlalu, rejected the fight on the basis that it would be a mismatch owing to Mboyiya’s vast experience.
The East London boxer is a former two-time SA champion, having reigned in the featherweight and junior lightweight divisions, but falling short of winning the lightweight crown after losing to Tshifhiwa Munyai.
Boasting a record of 18 wins, six losses and a draw, Mboyiya seems to have been rejuvenated as he chases the third belt in the junior welterweight division.
Dlamini has fought seven times, winning four, losing two and drawing one.
Though their fight records display a big gulf, a disparity in the number of fights has not previously served as a deterrent to the approval of bouts because some boxers develop early.
Dlamini, a KwaZulu-Natal champion, enjoyed an unbeaten run in his last two bouts, including fighting to a draw for the ABU-Sadc title, since suffering a fifth-round stoppage loss to the swashbuckling Kaine Fourie, who is brutally beating up every opponent.
KayB director Mzi Booi wrote to the committee, pleading with it to reconsider its decision, citing among other reasons the short period left to the promoters to secure another opponent for Mboyiya.
“While we understand it is the duty of the sanctioning committee to ensure quality matching, we feel on this occasion it has erred,” he said.
“Dlamini is ranked seventh in national ratings and is KwaZulu-Natal welterweight champion.
“We believe a fight between him and Mboyiya will be competitive, especially considering the styles of both boxers.”
Booi said Dlamini had been preparing for the fight since August 8 and pointed to SA junior welterweight champion Ntethelelo Nkosi who won the title in his seventh bout, beating an experienced Prince Dlomo, who had 29 fights under his belt at the time.
The committee has been warding off a barrage of criticism over its apparent selective approval of bouts, reminding the boxing fraternity of the option — taken by some promoters — of bypassing it and seeking the intervention of the board.
Top East London promoter Xaba Promotions requested board intervention after the committee turned down Sifiso Hlongwane’s bid to fight for the SA junior lightweight title against Mdantsane’s Asanda Gingqi in August 2023.
The committee argued that Hlongwane was not rated but the decision was later vetoed by the board and the bout turned out to be a competitive affair.
The committee has also been caught in the crossfire of the Hem-Mahlangu saga after it allegedly gave Mxolisi Zuma the nod to step aside and allow Hem to challenge Mahlangu for the SA junior featherweight title, which he won in September.
However, BSA has since ordered a rematch between Hem and Mahlangu after reviewing the scoring of the fight, throwing a spanner in the works of Hem’s commitment to honour his defence against Zuma.
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