The promoter of luckless East London boxer Aphiwe Mboyiya has declined to slot his SA junior-welterweight title bout back into his August 3 show after the fight fell through for the umpteenth time.
Mboyiya was scheduled to face nemesis Sibusiso Zingange for the vacant title at Emperors Palace in Kempton Park on July 26.
The clash was meant to finally crown a champion in the division after Ntethelelo Nkosi was forced to vacate the title.
However, Emperors Palace bosses suddenly announced the venue was not available for TLB Promotions, which was to stage it at the venue next Saturday.
The announcement is the latest in a series of setbacks for the title fight, starting with the disqualification at the 11th hour of Mboyiya’s original opponent, Sipho Mahlangu, after Zingange demanded to enforce his eligibility due to his higher ranking.
The original fight, which was scheduled to be held at the Orient Theatre on May 25 as part of a KayB Promotions show, was withdrawn after Boxing SA acceded to Zingange’s demand.
BSA called for purse bids after Zingange’s promoter, Joyce Kungwane of TLB, expressed interest in promoting the bout but the boxing body later extended the deadline of the auction and rejigged the terms, forcing KayB to withdraw and cede the promotional rights to Kungwane.
Kungwane then scheduled the fight for Emperors Palace next Saturday only to be informed that the venue was no longer available.
KayB’s Mzi Booi, who initially planned to promote the bout as a highlight of his August 3 show, said he could not bring it back as its budget had already been allocated to other fights.
“When we could not secure the bout, we decided to use its budget to add more bouts, hoping TLB would stage it on July 26,” he said.
“TLB’s latest challenge cannot make us change the structure of our tournament.”
KayB will go ahead with its August show with top-rated featherweight Bongani Fule topping the bill against Siphosihle Mpolweni in a battle of Makhanda homeboys.
Booi said he would have considered bringing back the fight if he could get funding, as he was bankrolling the show from his own pocket.
The 10-bout tournament will also feature highly regarded amateur star Amzolele Dyeyi, the Gingxana brothers — Hlumelo and Oyisa — rising knockout specialist Lonwabo Sizani and a slew of other prospects looking to thrust themselves into the spotlight.
Kungwane said the Mboyiya-Zingange clash was now tentatively scheduled for a date in September.
Daily Dispatch
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