All that glitters is not gold, so it seems for three East London boxers after their decision to sign with US handlers back fired.
The trio Simpiwe Vetyeka, Lusanda Komanisi and Mzuvukile Magwaca have now been stripped of their titles due to inactivity.
They are now twiddling their thumbs not sure which direction their careers will move to.
Komanisi has forfeited his IBO world featherweight title while Magwaca and Vetyeka also parted with their WBA International titles in the featherweight and bantamweight respectively.
Komanisi was hoping his IBO featherweight crown would propel him to bigger fights.
Likewise Magwaca used the WBA international bantamweight to move closer to a major world title shot with it having helped him to the top ten rating in the WBA.
Vetyeka also used his WBA International featherweight crown to reclaim his fourth ranking, which would take him within a whisker of regaining the WBA title he lost in controversial circumstances to Filipino, Noni Donaire in Macau last year.
The trio signed with US handlers amid fanfare with Komanisi and Magwaca penning pacts with American promoter Greg Cohen.
After numerous promises of a fight in US Cohen is yet to deliver. Instead he has constantly been postponing their fights rendering his new recruits disillusioned.
The boxers’ manager Mla Tengimfene has confirmed that the long inactivity has led to them being stripped of their titles.
“It is a situation we are not happy about but we are hopeful that finally something will come along,” he said.
Komanisi was initially scheduled to face American Eric Hunter in his US debut last November.
The fight was later postponed to this month but still no confirmation has been received from Cohen that the fight is definitely on.
Tengimfene admitted that the situation has had a negative effect on both boxers as they spent their Christmas not knowing when they would get back into the ring.
Komanisi last fought in October 2015 when he retained his IBO crown with a fifth round knockout of Filipino Roli Gasca against whom he laboured to an under-whelming points win almost a year earlier.
The rematch would serve as a swan song for his working relations with Rumble Africa Promotions as he signed a multi year pact with Cohen’s promotion with promises that he would then be unleashed onto the world scene.
But it was not to be as he is yet to cash in on the big signing having gone a full last year without a fight.
Vetyeka, who is arguably one of the best boxers in the world has also been inactive since his harder-than-expected points win over Japanese Tsuyoshi Tameda in April.
The fight was organised by his erstwhile promoter Andile Sidinile of Sijuta Promotions which later transgressed by not paying him his purse.
Vetyeka used the loophole to bolt from the promotion to sign with Irish born manager Gary Hyde, who promised to steer him to a world title shot.
But nothing has come out of that promise even though there are unconfirmed reports that Vetyeka may make a ring return in Morocco sometime this year.
Vetyeka declined to comment but confirmed that he and Hyde have been
in regular contact.
Pugilists‘ careers in limbo
The trio Simpiwe Vetyeka, Lusanda Komanisi and Mzuvukile Magwaca have now been stripped of their titles due to inactivity.
They are now twiddling their thumbs not sure which direction their careers will move to.
Komanisi has forfeited his IBO world featherweight title while Magwaca and Vetyeka also parted with their WBA International titles in the featherweight and bantamweight respectively.
Komanisi was hoping his IBO featherweight crown would propel him to bigger fights.
Likewise Magwaca used the WBA international bantamweight to move closer to a major world title shot with it having helped him to the top ten rating in the WBA.
Vetyeka also used his WBA International featherweight crown to reclaim his fourth ranking, which would take him within a whisker of regaining the WBA title he lost in controversial circumstances to Filipino, Noni Donaire in Macau last year.
The trio signed with US handlers amid fanfare with Komanisi and Magwaca penning pacts with American promoter Greg Cohen.
After numerous promises of a fight in US Cohen is yet to deliver. Instead he has constantly been postponing their fights rendering his new recruits disillusioned.
The boxers’ manager Mla Tengimfene has confirmed that the long inactivity has led to them being stripped of their titles.
“It is a situation we are not happy about but we are hopeful that finally something will come along,” he said.
Komanisi was initially scheduled to face American Eric Hunter in his US debut last November.
The fight was later postponed to this month but still no confirmation has been received from Cohen that the fight is definitely on.
Tengimfene admitted that the situation has had a negative effect on both boxers as they spent their Christmas not knowing when they would get back into the ring.
Komanisi last fought in October 2015 when he retained his IBO crown with a fifth round knockout of Filipino Roli Gasca against whom he laboured to an under-whelming points win almost a year earlier.
The rematch would serve as a swan song for his working relations with Rumble Africa Promotions as he signed a multi year pact with Cohen’s promotion with promises that he would then be unleashed onto the world scene.
But it was not to be as he is yet to cash in on the big signing having gone a full last year without a fight.
Vetyeka, who is arguably one of the best boxers in the world has also been inactive since his harder-than-expected points win over Japanese Tsuyoshi Tameda in April.
The fight was organised by his erstwhile promoter Andile Sidinile of Sijuta Promotions which later transgressed by not paying him his purse.
Vetyeka used the loophole to bolt from the promotion to sign with Irish born manager Gary Hyde, who promised to steer him to a world title shot.
But nothing has come out of that promise even though there are unconfirmed reports that Vetyeka may make a ring return in Morocco sometime this year.
Vetyeka declined to comment but confirmed that he and Hyde have been
in regular contact.
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