Last Born Promotion (LBP) will hold its Saturday boxing tournament at Orient Theatre despite the venue being flagged for unreadiness.
LBP’s Mlandeli Tengimfene said the venue, which is under construction, would host the show headlined by Mthokozisi Ngxaka vying for the vacant SA mini-flyweight title against Thami Luthuli even though Supersport asked the promoter to find an alternative venue.
However when LBP realised that even if an alternative venue had been found, the pay channel would still not televise the show, it kept it at the venue.
In a letter seen by Daily Dispatch, Supersport first highlighted the poor condition of the venue as the reason it would not be able to televise the show.
However it later declined in subsequent correspondence to televise the show after Duncan Village star and crowd puller Azinga Fuzile withdrew from the event to take up a bigger offer in Kazakhstan.
Fuzile was originally scheduled to headline Sunday’s show against Argentinian Walter Matias Leiva
But he received a good offer to face unbeaten Kazakhstani Sultan Zauberk for the WBA continental junior-lightweight title at the Barys Arena in Astana on April 5.
Supersport said it could not televise the show as it was not compelling enough.
“For the sake of clarity, Supersport has unfortunately declined your request to broadcast your boxing tournament as the headline bout is not what was originally presented to us,” the letter said.
Tengimfene said the tournament would go ahead as planned at Orient Theatre, which has been rented out to host other activities while construction work is under way.
Tengimfene shared a poster showing an a three-day church event taking place at the venue.
“We are going ahead with our tournament as planned,” he said.
Supersport has also instructed Xaba Promotions to move their Saturday show from the venue.
XP boss Ayanda Matiti confirmed that the order had sent the promoter on a frantic search for an alternative venue.
However with alternative venues reportedly booked, the promotion is considering postponing the show to a later date.
Daily Dispatch
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