WHILE boxing has virtually come to a standstill in the rest of the country due to television blackout, East London is awash with boxing tournaments and the area is not big enough to accommodate all of them.
Since SABC-TV pulled the plug on screening boxing tournaments three years ago, promoters across the country have been in limbo subjecting scores of boxers to long spells of inactivity.
Only a handful of promoters contracted to SuperSport have been able to stage tournaments with television backing.
In a bid to lift the SABC-TV boxing blackout, Boxing SA entered into an agreement with the public broadcaster to take control of television rights instead of the previous norm when promoters negotiating the rights for themselves.
However this move opened another can of worms when Johannesburg promoter Branco Milenkovic took BSA to court for infringing on the rights of promoters to negotiate the television rights for themselves.
The case is still pending in court.
Despite the saga, some East London promoters are soldering on and staging tournaments without television backing.
While the strife of television blackout is hitting their peers hard in other parts of the country, local promoters are not only staging tournaments but they are putting together cards featuring national and international double- headers thanks to the backing by provincial government and municipalities.
Tonight at Fort Hare University Sports Complex in Alice, Siphatho Handi of Mamali Promotions will stage an SA title double-header featuring the SA super- middleweight title defence by DRC-born local Balemo Weliya against Johannesburg challenger Charles Oosthuizen.
In the same show KwaZulu-Natal’s Nkululeko Mhlongo will defend his SA junior-middleweight crown against Yanga Phethani from Mdantsane.
Handi’s show is bankrolled by Amathole District Municipality.
“I am grateful to Amathole for realising that boxing is the number one sport in the region,” said Handi.
Not to be outdone by Handi’s event, Mzi Mnguni of Eyethu Promotions will stage his own SA title double- header show at Mdantsane Indoor Centre tomorrow where Macbute Sinyabi and Thabo Sonjica will resume their rivalry for the third time when they battle for Sinyabi’s SA junior- featherweight crown.
In the same show boxing teen Aphiwe Mboyiya will vie for the maiden defence of his SA featherweight title against Lucky Khwaza.
As if that is not enough, Xaba Promotions under Ayanda Matiti will stage a quadruple header featuring Sityatha brothers, Lwandile and Miniyakhe, in title bouts at Orient Theatre on April 7.
Lwandile will defend his SA flyweight crown against Olympian Jackson Chauke, while Miniyakhe will contest for the vacant WBA Pan-African bantamweight championship against Michael Barnor from Ghana.
On the same card Mzolisi Yoyo will put his SA junior-welterweight crown on the line against Thapelo Potwana while Xola Sifama and Doctor Ntsele will battle for the vacant WBF Intercontinental flyweight championship.
TV blackouts fillip for EL tournaments
Since SABC-TV pulled the plug on screening boxing tournaments three years ago, promoters across the country have been in limbo subjecting scores of boxers to long spells of inactivity.
Only a handful of promoters contracted to SuperSport have been able to stage tournaments with television backing.
In a bid to lift the SABC-TV boxing blackout, Boxing SA entered into an agreement with the public broadcaster to take control of television rights instead of the previous norm when promoters negotiating the rights for themselves.
However this move opened another can of worms when Johannesburg promoter Branco Milenkovic took BSA to court for infringing on the rights of promoters to negotiate the television rights for themselves.
The case is still pending in court.
Despite the saga, some East London promoters are soldering on and staging tournaments without television backing.
While the strife of television blackout is hitting their peers hard in other parts of the country, local promoters are not only staging tournaments but they are putting together cards featuring national and international double- headers thanks to the backing by provincial government and municipalities.
Tonight at Fort Hare University Sports Complex in Alice, Siphatho Handi of Mamali Promotions will stage an SA title double-header featuring the SA super- middleweight title defence by DRC-born local Balemo Weliya against Johannesburg challenger Charles Oosthuizen.
In the same show KwaZulu-Natal’s Nkululeko Mhlongo will defend his SA junior-middleweight crown against Yanga Phethani from Mdantsane.
Handi’s show is bankrolled by Amathole District Municipality.
“I am grateful to Amathole for realising that boxing is the number one sport in the region,” said Handi.
Not to be outdone by Handi’s event, Mzi Mnguni of Eyethu Promotions will stage his own SA title double- header show at Mdantsane Indoor Centre tomorrow where Macbute Sinyabi and Thabo Sonjica will resume their rivalry for the third time when they battle for Sinyabi’s SA junior- featherweight crown.
In the same show boxing teen Aphiwe Mboyiya will vie for the maiden defence of his SA featherweight title against Lucky Khwaza.
As if that is not enough, Xaba Promotions under Ayanda Matiti will stage a quadruple header featuring Sityatha brothers, Lwandile and Miniyakhe, in title bouts at Orient Theatre on April 7.
Lwandile will defend his SA flyweight crown against Olympian Jackson Chauke, while Miniyakhe will contest for the vacant WBA Pan-African bantamweight championship against Michael Barnor from Ghana.
On the same card Mzolisi Yoyo will put his SA junior-welterweight crown on the line against Thapelo Potwana while Xola Sifama and Doctor Ntsele will battle for the vacant WBF Intercontinental flyweight championship.
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