The WBO Convention has just ended in Puerto Rico and already SA boxing is benefiting after news surfaced that Mdantsane veteran Ali Funeka will fight in New Zealand on December 10.
Funeka, who holds the WBO regional welterweight crown will face highly rated but relatively unproven Australian Jeff Horn on the undercard of the WBO world heavyweight title clash between Kiwi Joseph Parker and Andy Ruiz of US.
The tournament to be promoted by top Kiwi promoter Dean Lonergan is set to go down as the best boxing event ever held in New Zealand.
Parker and Ruiz will clash for the world crown recently vacated by British boxer Tyson Fury.
Details of the tournament were concluded at the WBO indaba last week in Puerto Rico where SA was represented by Funeka’s promoter, Ayanda Matiti of Xaba Promotions and Events.
Matiti confirmed that he tied up the loose ends with Lonergan at the indaba.
“We had talks about this fight before but negotiations collapsed when we could not reach an agreement but after meeting Lonergan at the WBO Convention we ironed out all the sticky points so the fight is now good to go,” Matiti said.
Funeka will be bidding to become the second boxer from South Africa to benefit from renewed relations between Matiti and the WBO.
Already another veteran boxer Mzonke Fana, who ironically also hails from Eastern Cape got a shot at the WBO lightweight title held by Terry Flanagan of England but lost a points decision this past July.
Like Funeka, Fana also used his WBO regional belt to get the shot at the fully fledged world title.
But Funeka who at 38 years old is at the twilight of his career spanning three IBF title challenges will be against a formidable foe in Horn who commands lofty ratings in all major four world bodies.
Horn is rated fourth by the WBO and already the winner has been promised a shot at the world title, which will be contested by Manny Pacquiao and Jessie Vargas at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas this Saturday.
Interestingly it will be the second time Funeka fights in a big tournament featuring a world heavyweight title as he fought in the show headlined by the WBA heavyweight title clash between Australian Lucas Browne and Russian Uzbekistanian Chagaev this past March.
This when Funeka upset the previously undefeated Russian Viskhan Murzabekov to pick
up the IBO Intercontinental
title.
Besides Funeka, the tournament will also feature other African boxers including unbeaten Nigerian heavyweight boxer Izuagbe Ugonoh who will contest for one of the regional belts against an opponent yet to be revealed.
There will also be an appearance by unbeaten Ghanaian star Isaac Dogboe who has held numerous titles at the youth level.
Funeka lands big New Zealand fight
Funeka, who holds the WBO regional welterweight crown will face highly rated but relatively unproven Australian Jeff Horn on the undercard of the WBO world heavyweight title clash between Kiwi Joseph Parker and Andy Ruiz of US.
The tournament to be promoted by top Kiwi promoter Dean Lonergan is set to go down as the best boxing event ever held in New Zealand.
Parker and Ruiz will clash for the world crown recently vacated by British boxer Tyson Fury.
Details of the tournament were concluded at the WBO indaba last week in Puerto Rico where SA was represented by Funeka’s promoter, Ayanda Matiti of Xaba Promotions and Events.
Matiti confirmed that he tied up the loose ends with Lonergan at the indaba.
“We had talks about this fight before but negotiations collapsed when we could not reach an agreement but after meeting Lonergan at the WBO Convention we ironed out all the sticky points so the fight is now good to go,” Matiti said.
Funeka will be bidding to become the second boxer from South Africa to benefit from renewed relations between Matiti and the WBO.
Already another veteran boxer Mzonke Fana, who ironically also hails from Eastern Cape got a shot at the WBO lightweight title held by Terry Flanagan of England but lost a points decision this past July.
Like Funeka, Fana also used his WBO regional belt to get the shot at the fully fledged world title.
But Funeka who at 38 years old is at the twilight of his career spanning three IBF title challenges will be against a formidable foe in Horn who commands lofty ratings in all major four world bodies.
Horn is rated fourth by the WBO and already the winner has been promised a shot at the world title, which will be contested by Manny Pacquiao and Jessie Vargas at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas this Saturday.
Interestingly it will be the second time Funeka fights in a big tournament featuring a world heavyweight title as he fought in the show headlined by the WBA heavyweight title clash between Australian Lucas Browne and Russian Uzbekistanian Chagaev this past March.
This when Funeka upset the previously undefeated Russian Viskhan Murzabekov to pick
up the IBO Intercontinental
title.
Besides Funeka, the tournament will also feature other African boxers including unbeaten Nigerian heavyweight boxer Izuagbe Ugonoh who will contest for one of the regional belts against an opponent yet to be revealed.
There will also be an appearance by unbeaten Ghanaian star Isaac Dogboe who has held numerous titles at the youth level.
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