History will be made in the city when three IBF-sanctioned bouts take place to form part of the birthday celebrations of the late struggle icon Nelson Mandela on July 22.
Already three local boxers have been approved to contest for the IBF titles with newly crowned SA junior-lightweight champion Aphiwe Mboyiya leading the pack.
Mboyiya caused a major upset last week when he dethroned favourite Jasper Seroka of his SA junior-lightweight title to become the national champion in the second weight class at age 23. Now he has been approved to contest the IBF world youth title.
The return of the IBF, which is one of the four major world bodies, to the country has rekindled memories of IBF champions produced in the region such as Welcome Ncita, Vuyani Bungu, Zolani Phethelo, Zolani Tete, Nkosinathi Joyi and Siphiwe Nongqayi.
The IBF return is expected to wipe out the bad taste it left with local boxers when they were stripped of their titles under dubious circumstances when the body was still aligned with Johannesburg promoter Branco Milenkovic.
Boxers such as Mzonke Fana, who hails from Qumbu, and Noni Tenge left their IBF titles in the boardroom, inspiring the local boxing fraternity to give the New Jersey-based world body the middle finger.
But local promoter Ayanda Matiti recently attended the IBF Convention in China after he was invited to be part of the world boxing gathering and immediately began to reconnect the world body with SA.
“My mission for going to China was to wipe out the bad taste the IBF had with SA and help reconnect them like they used to work so well together.
“Remember the IBF produced so many world champions in this region and we were able to see our own boxers ruling supreme against the best in the world.”
The China trip has now paid dividends for boxing in the region at the time the world will be commemorating Mandela’s birthday. To make the event even bigger Matiti has invited IBF president Daryl Peoples but he is yet to confirm his attendance.
Other boxers who will contest IBF-sanctioned titles include Makazole Tete, who also won the world body’s African title in the Mboyiya-Seroka undercard. Macbute Sinyabi and Mthatha’s Athi Dumezweni will also be in action.
IBF back with triple bout treat
Already three local boxers have been approved to contest for the IBF titles with newly crowned SA junior-lightweight champion Aphiwe Mboyiya leading the pack.
Mboyiya caused a major upset last week when he dethroned favourite Jasper Seroka of his SA junior-lightweight title to become the national champion in the second weight class at age 23. Now he has been approved to contest the IBF world youth title.
The return of the IBF, which is one of the four major world bodies, to the country has rekindled memories of IBF champions produced in the region such as Welcome Ncita, Vuyani Bungu, Zolani Phethelo, Zolani Tete, Nkosinathi Joyi and Siphiwe Nongqayi.
The IBF return is expected to wipe out the bad taste it left with local boxers when they were stripped of their titles under dubious circumstances when the body was still aligned with Johannesburg promoter Branco Milenkovic.
Boxers such as Mzonke Fana, who hails from Qumbu, and Noni Tenge left their IBF titles in the boardroom, inspiring the local boxing fraternity to give the New Jersey-based world body the middle finger.
But local promoter Ayanda Matiti recently attended the IBF Convention in China after he was invited to be part of the world boxing gathering and immediately began to reconnect the world body with SA.
“My mission for going to China was to wipe out the bad taste the IBF had with SA and help reconnect them like they used to work so well together.
“Remember the IBF produced so many world champions in this region and we were able to see our own boxers ruling supreme against the best in the world.”
The China trip has now paid dividends for boxing in the region at the time the world will be commemorating Mandela’s birthday. To make the event even bigger Matiti has invited IBF president Daryl Peoples but he is yet to confirm his attendance.
Other boxers who will contest IBF-sanctioned titles include Makazole Tete, who also won the world body’s African title in the Mboyiya-Seroka undercard. Macbute Sinyabi and Mthatha’s Athi Dumezweni will also be in action.
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