He is dubbed the Jay-Z of South African boxing and Terris Ntuthu intends to live up to that billing after he swelled his new stable by signing a handful of boxers recently.
With just one tournament under its banner, Ntuthu’s Rumble Africa Promotions is set to dominate boxing this year with no less than 10 shows scheduled from April until the end of the year.
This after it penned two IBO world champions Lusanda Komanisi and Moruti Mthalane as well as former IBO junior featherweight king Thabo Sonjica and Daily Dispatch prospect of the year Ludumo Lamati.
Other boxers signed include Deon Coetzee and Sipho Tsunami.
In all these contracts there is a strong Nick Durandt link with Taliwe, Komanisi, Mthalane and Coetzee all managed and trained by the Johannesburg trainer.
Ntuthu does not deny his partnership with Durandt, saying the trainer was playing a pivotal role behind the scenes.
“ Nick is part of Rumble Africa Promotions and I am happy to have him around,” he said.
However Ntuthu vehemently denies that he has turned to boxing to neutralise former political ally-turned rival, Ayanda Matiti’s success.
An Amathole ANC regional chairman, Ntuthu and Matiti were allies when the latter was the provincial ANC Youth League chairman.
Their relationship soured for unknown reasons and since then the battle lines have been drawn.
“I have been in boxing for a while, although I was just a fan,” Ntuthu says.
“I did not miss a single tournament in East London when I was not busy and my decision to play an active role in the sport is not motivated by any desire to neutralise anyone.”
Already the two rivals are set to collide after Ntuthu signed Mthalane just when his IBO flyweight title defence against the Matiti-promoted Makazole Tete was all but approved.
Having acquired the rights of the champion, Ntuthu has now put himself on a pedestal, with Matiti relegated to a status of challenger that resembles a beggar.
Ntuthu insists that Mthalane is still prepared to defend against Tete and all Tete’s team needs to do is to consult him.
“If Tete wants the fight his team should speak to us and we will take it from there,” he says.
Already Ntuthu has thrown the first jab by sending Tete’s manager Mla Tengimfene a text message asking him if he was still interested in the fight.
He admits that such an invitation was not extended to Matiti but quickly adds: “I once talked to Matiti and I proposed that we should meet and he was willing but so far nothing has come off it.”
Ntuthu does not deny his politically strained relations with Matiti but says that cannot stand in the way of promoting the fight that fans want to see.
“We can put aside our differences and organise this fight if he is willing.”
All Matiti could say was: “The fight is still possible because Mthalane has not lost his title but simply changed his handlers. I think the handlers of both boxers should engage and deal with the specifics.”
While Matiti’s Xaba Promotions would have been a co-promoter when the fight was negotiated under Mthalane’s former promoter Thulani Magudulela, it’s unlikely that Ntuthu would be that generous. But with Tete’s chances of beating Mthalane ever increased judging by their recent form, Matiti could cede the promotional rights knowing that he would inflict the most severe defeat to his rival if Tete beats Mthalane.
“We have allowed our boxers to feature in other promoters’ tournaments in the past so this will be nothing new,’’ Matit argues.
Indeed Matiti allowed his charge Xolisani Ndongeni to challenge Thompson Mokwana in a tournament promoted By Wajima/KK Promotions and he left the ring smiling after Ndongeni dethroned Mokwana.
While it is still too early to talk about a Mthalane-Tete bout, there is no doubt that it will be one of the most highly anticipated clashes with many story-lines to market.
First there is the Matiti-Ntuthu political rivalry and then there is the revenge factor of Makazole who wants to avenge the loss of his younger brother Zolani to Mthalane.
Ntuthu says he will finalise the exact date of his first tournament after concluding a deal with television networks.
His plans are modelled from Jay-Z’s boxing invasion after the music mogul’s newly formed promotion outfit, Roc Nation, ruffled boxing feathers in America by signing several boxers including the pound for pound star and super middleweight world champion Andre Ward.
Ntuthu to ruffle promotion feathers
With just one tournament under its banner, Ntuthu’s Rumble Africa Promotions is set to dominate boxing this year with no less than 10 shows scheduled from April until the end of the year.
This after it penned two IBO world champions Lusanda Komanisi and Moruti Mthalane as well as former IBO junior featherweight king Thabo Sonjica and Daily Dispatch prospect of the year Ludumo Lamati.
Other boxers signed include Deon Coetzee and Sipho Tsunami.
In all these contracts there is a strong Nick Durandt link with Taliwe, Komanisi, Mthalane and Coetzee all managed and trained by the Johannesburg trainer.
Ntuthu does not deny his partnership with Durandt, saying the trainer was playing a pivotal role behind the scenes.
“ Nick is part of Rumble Africa Promotions and I am happy to have him around,” he said.
However Ntuthu vehemently denies that he has turned to boxing to neutralise former political ally-turned rival, Ayanda Matiti’s success.
An Amathole ANC regional chairman, Ntuthu and Matiti were allies when the latter was the provincial ANC Youth League chairman.
Their relationship soured for unknown reasons and since then the battle lines have been drawn.
“I have been in boxing for a while, although I was just a fan,” Ntuthu says.
“I did not miss a single tournament in East London when I was not busy and my decision to play an active role in the sport is not motivated by any desire to neutralise anyone.”
Already the two rivals are set to collide after Ntuthu signed Mthalane just when his IBO flyweight title defence against the Matiti-promoted Makazole Tete was all but approved.
Having acquired the rights of the champion, Ntuthu has now put himself on a pedestal, with Matiti relegated to a status of challenger that resembles a beggar.
Ntuthu insists that Mthalane is still prepared to defend against Tete and all Tete’s team needs to do is to consult him.
“If Tete wants the fight his team should speak to us and we will take it from there,” he says.
Already Ntuthu has thrown the first jab by sending Tete’s manager Mla Tengimfene a text message asking him if he was still interested in the fight.
He admits that such an invitation was not extended to Matiti but quickly adds: “I once talked to Matiti and I proposed that we should meet and he was willing but so far nothing has come off it.”
Ntuthu does not deny his politically strained relations with Matiti but says that cannot stand in the way of promoting the fight that fans want to see.
“We can put aside our differences and organise this fight if he is willing.”
All Matiti could say was: “The fight is still possible because Mthalane has not lost his title but simply changed his handlers. I think the handlers of both boxers should engage and deal with the specifics.”
While Matiti’s Xaba Promotions would have been a co-promoter when the fight was negotiated under Mthalane’s former promoter Thulani Magudulela, it’s unlikely that Ntuthu would be that generous. But with Tete’s chances of beating Mthalane ever increased judging by their recent form, Matiti could cede the promotional rights knowing that he would inflict the most severe defeat to his rival if Tete beats Mthalane.
“We have allowed our boxers to feature in other promoters’ tournaments in the past so this will be nothing new,’’ Matit argues.
Indeed Matiti allowed his charge Xolisani Ndongeni to challenge Thompson Mokwana in a tournament promoted By Wajima/KK Promotions and he left the ring smiling after Ndongeni dethroned Mokwana.
While it is still too early to talk about a Mthalane-Tete bout, there is no doubt that it will be one of the most highly anticipated clashes with many story-lines to market.
First there is the Matiti-Ntuthu political rivalry and then there is the revenge factor of Makazole who wants to avenge the loss of his younger brother Zolani to Mthalane.
Ntuthu says he will finalise the exact date of his first tournament after concluding a deal with television networks.
His plans are modelled from Jay-Z’s boxing invasion after the music mogul’s newly formed promotion outfit, Roc Nation, ruffled boxing feathers in America by signing several boxers including the pound for pound star and super middleweight world champion Andre Ward.
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