Fresh court showdown on cards.
BHISHO High Court is set to be the next boxing battle ground when promoter Luvuyo Mngxaso and Boxing SA clash over the cancellation of his tournament scheduled to be held at the Bhisho Stadium tomorrow.
Yesterday the two parties were sharpening their claws as they prepared to collide with the boxers expected to be the victims.
Mngxaso, who trades under Brown Bomber Promotions, has taken BSA to court over the cancellation of his tournament set to celebrate Women’s Month tomorrow.
The show was to be headlined by the SA female welterweight title rematch between Julie Tshabalala and Rita Mrwebi of Mthatha.
Mdantsane’s Sikhulule Sidzumo was to vie for his third national title against Nkululeko Mhlongo for the SA and WBF Intercontinental junior-middleweight titles in the male clash.
However BSA pulled the plug on the show on the basis that Mngxaso had failed to adhere to compliance issues.
Although the regulatory body could not reveal details, it is believed that Mngxaso failed to meet the 30-day deadline to deposit purse-monies of the boxers.
Mngxaso, who refused to comment before the matter was finalised, reportedly deposited the money 12 days ago and also submitted a letter to BSA explaining the late deposit.
According to sources Mngxaso is within his right to challenge the cancellation as the rule stipulating that purse-monies should be deposited 30 days or at least 14 days before the show has a leeway allowing a promoter to submit an accompanying letter explaining the late deposit.
By yesterday Mngxaso’s lawyers Mqhuqhwa Attorneys were trying to convince the judge to treat the matter as urgent.
“For instance the weigh-in for the tournament is today so this matter is very urgent,” said Mava Malla, an acting attorney for Mqhuqhwa Attorneys.
Malla is coincidentally a former BSA chief executive when the structure was still called SA National Boxing Board Commission.
He argued that BSA was interpreting the Act regarding the money deposits wrongly.
“BSA has no authority to cancel a tournament due to the failure of the promoter to meet the 30-day deposit,” he said.
“They can only postpone it because you must take into account the impact that would have on boxers and other logistics.”
It is the second time in less than a month BSA has been taken to court over the cancellation of a tournament.
A few weeks ago the regulatory body was hauled to the Gauteng High Court over its decision to call off the Premier Boxing League (PBL) tournament in Port Elizabeth.
Although BSA scored a victory a second court ruling in PE gave a permission for the tournament to go ahead.
By late yesterday both belligerent parties were on tenterhooks waiting to see whether the judge would grant the matter a status of urgency. BSA-Eastern Cape manager Phakamile Jacobs had not yet been served with court papers to appear in court.
And the boxers expected to participate in the tournament had no idea if they would continue to fight.
“That is a most unfair situation because now boxers have trained and will need to maintain their weight before they can know if their fights will continue,” added Malla.
BSA and promoter face off
BHISHO High Court is set to be the next boxing battle ground when promoter Luvuyo Mngxaso and Boxing SA clash over the cancellation of his tournament scheduled to be held at the Bhisho Stadium tomorrow.
Yesterday the two parties were sharpening their claws as they prepared to collide with the boxers expected to be the victims.
Mngxaso, who trades under Brown Bomber Promotions, has taken BSA to court over the cancellation of his tournament set to celebrate Women’s Month tomorrow.
The show was to be headlined by the SA female welterweight title rematch between Julie Tshabalala and Rita Mrwebi of Mthatha.
Mdantsane’s Sikhulule Sidzumo was to vie for his third national title against Nkululeko Mhlongo for the SA and WBF Intercontinental junior-middleweight titles in the male clash.
However BSA pulled the plug on the show on the basis that Mngxaso had failed to adhere to compliance issues.
Although the regulatory body could not reveal details, it is believed that Mngxaso failed to meet the 30-day deadline to deposit purse-monies of the boxers.
Mngxaso, who refused to comment before the matter was finalised, reportedly deposited the money 12 days ago and also submitted a letter to BSA explaining the late deposit.
According to sources Mngxaso is within his right to challenge the cancellation as the rule stipulating that purse-monies should be deposited 30 days or at least 14 days before the show has a leeway allowing a promoter to submit an accompanying letter explaining the late deposit.
By yesterday Mngxaso’s lawyers Mqhuqhwa Attorneys were trying to convince the judge to treat the matter as urgent.
“For instance the weigh-in for the tournament is today so this matter is very urgent,” said Mava Malla, an acting attorney for Mqhuqhwa Attorneys.
Malla is coincidentally a former BSA chief executive when the structure was still called SA National Boxing Board Commission.
He argued that BSA was interpreting the Act regarding the money deposits wrongly.
“BSA has no authority to cancel a tournament due to the failure of the promoter to meet the 30-day deposit,” he said.
“They can only postpone it because you must take into account the impact that would have on boxers and other logistics.”
It is the second time in less than a month BSA has been taken to court over the cancellation of a tournament.
A few weeks ago the regulatory body was hauled to the Gauteng High Court over its decision to call off the Premier Boxing League (PBL) tournament in Port Elizabeth.
Although BSA scored a victory a second court ruling in PE gave a permission for the tournament to go ahead.
By late yesterday both belligerent parties were on tenterhooks waiting to see whether the judge would grant the matter a status of urgency. BSA-Eastern Cape manager Phakamile Jacobs had not yet been served with court papers to appear in court.
And the boxers expected to participate in the tournament had no idea if they would continue to fight.
“That is a most unfair situation because now boxers have trained and will need to maintain their weight before they can know if their fights will continue,” added Malla.
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