Landile Ngxeke’s camp has shot down reports that a date for his world title shot has already been scheduled for December 13 in Mexico.
The reaction follows international reports that a deal was reached between Ngxeke’s manager, Colin Nathan, and Mexican promotional powerhouse BXSTRS Promotions, which promotes the Sada boxer’s mandated opponent, Jose Salas Reyes.
Ngxeke, who was guided in Mdantsane by Xaba Promotions while training under its gymnasium, was ordered by the IBF to contest its vacant bantamweight title against Reyes.
This after the belt was relinquished by former dual champion Junto Nakatani in favour of an all-Japanese clash against Naoya Inoue for the undisputed junior-featherweight crown.
The two camps were given until Thursday to reach agreement, failing which the promotional rights would be opened to purse bids.
According to international reports, Nathan and the Mexican promoter managed to strike a deal, with the bout scheduled for December 13 in a city yet to be decided in Mexico.
However, Nathan denied having reached any agreement, saying no contracts had been signed with anyone.
“As you may know by now, I deal with signed contracts to know where I am going, and I can tell you right now no contract has been signed as yet,” he said.
“I was not even aware there were reports about an agreed date and whoever reported on a date being set might be jumping the gun.”
However, it is a bit surprising that negotiations have dragged on this far as Nathan and Reyes’s handler, Sean Gibbons, are bosom friends who have worked together and assisted each other on a number of occasions.
The pair travelled to Japan on the verge of Nakatani’s title renouncement in September when Ngxeke was still under Xaba.
They were in negotiations with Gibbons for him to either face Reyes or WBO champion Christian Medina, who dethroned Japanese Yoshiki Takei for the title.
On his return from Japan, Nathan was joined by Ngxeke, unleashing a wave of controversy in the SA boxing fraternity, with Xaba boss Ayanda Matiti enlisting a legal team to file an objection to the move.
But Boxing SA ruled in Nathan’s favour on the basis that Ngxeke had no contract with anyone when he signed him.
Taking a dig at the saga, Nathan said he would not trust anyone until a contract was signed before he could confirm the Mexican date.
“I trust contracts, not people.”
However, some reports said the Mexico-based promoter confirmed it was still in talks with Ngxeke’s team to ensure all parties were fully satisfied ahead of fight night.
The 30-year-old Ngxeke, who is rated fifth behind third-ranked Reyes, got the nod when fourth-listed Takuma Inoue turned down the IBF order and elected to face compatriot Tenshin Nasukawa for the WBC belt also vacated by Nakatani in Tokyo on November 24.
Reyes, who at 23 is Ngxeke’s junior by seven years, is unbeaten in 16 bouts with 10 stoppages, while Ngxeke stretched his fight record to 16 wins when he beat another Mexican, Eric Gamboa, in June in East London against a loss and a draw.
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