The general feeling was that Mdantsane boxer Thembelani Nxoshe would succeed Jackson Chauke when the latter vacated the SA flyweight crown after being given his toughest fight in a title defence in East London in 2023.
However, when Chauke vacated the title after winning the IBO world belt, Nxoshe was removed from the ratings despite crying for help, with the new champion, Nkosingiphile Sibisi, flatly refusing to risk his crown against the battle-scarred former division ruler.
Nxoshe is one of scores of boxers who have been removed from the latest ratings from December after being inactive for more than a year.
He also does not have a dedicated promoter backing him, having last fought when he lost to Chauke in a fight-of-the-year candidate.
Nxoshe has since been begging promoters to feature him in their shows, but no opponent is prepared to risk facing him in the ring.
His situation has added to calls for the regulation dealing with activity in the ring to be amended in line with sports minister Gayton McKenzie’s orders for the newly appointed Boxing SA board to facilitate the changing of some regulations.
Nxoshe’s manager, Amanda Magatya, said boxers without a promoter backing them were being disadvantaged by the inactivity regulation because they were not idle on their own accord.
“We have proof of boxers who turned down bouts against Nxoshe — yet he is the one being punished for this even though it is not his fault,” he said.
“I honestly think BSA must revisit this regulation.”
Magatya was echoing the sentiments of Luvuyo Sizani’s manager, Siyabulela Makala, who complained about the removal of the Komani boxer from the light-heavyweight division ratings.
Sizani found himself out in the wilderness despite waiting patiently as the only rated boxer in the division for a lengthy period with no ranked opponent with whom to contest the vacant title.
Award-winning matchmaker Luyanda Kana said he had worked tirelessly to find opponents for Nxoshe, only for them to change their minds and withdraw.
“I managed to secure opponents both here and in Durban, only for their managers to say their boxers were not ready to face Nxoshe,” he said.
Magatya is still gunning for a shot at Sibisi, even being prepared to go to his backyard in KwaZulu-Natal for the fight.
In an attempt to minimise obstacles hindering the sport, McKenzie ordered the new board he appointed in December to prioritise the amendment of regulations to align them with the needs of SA boxing.
Among the slew of challenges facing the sport in the country is its failure to keep up with international best practice, including stopping using an outdated sanctioning model which has been a bone of contention between promoters and BSA.
Boxing stakeholders say ratings and sanctioning criteria need to be revamped to be in line with the international scene.
“Boxers will continue becoming victims and blame us as their managers if some of these practices are not changed,” Magatya said.
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