Two major boxing tournaments – one featuring a world title – scheduled for this weekend in East London have been postponed, leaving boxing fans as well as boxers home and dry.
The first to be shelved is the Premier Boxing League (PBL) tournament which would have featured the long-anticipated finals carrying a staggering
R1-million prize.
The show was to be held at Orient Theatre on Friday and would have been a culmination of an ambitious programme initiated by former boxing commentator Dicksy Ngqula of selecting 16 boxers to compete in a league format in four divisions with the one tallying the most points walking away with the R1-million prize.
The programme started in June last year but has encountered challenges leading to the long delay before crowning its first champion which was expected to be either Duncan Village Xolisani Ndongeni or Macbute Sinyabi this weekend.
Ngqula said the decision to postpone the finals was taken after extensive discussions with PBL partners and the recent stringent requirements by Boxing SA (BSA) demanding purse monies to be submitted 30 days or at least 14 days in advance.
“The event was initially planned but not officially confirmed for November 28 2014 however logistics for the tournament prompted the organisers to
re-schedule,” Ngqula said.
“This is in light of funder timelines and BSA deadlines which were not aligned.”
Ngqula has already butted heads with BSA over the submission of purse monies when the regulatory body called off the PBL show in Port Elizabeth in August on the basis that the 30 day deadline had not been met.
But Ngqula, backed by Eastern Cape Promoters Association successfully challenged the cancellation in court.
Ngqula said the finals will now be held on January 24 in venue yet to be decided in East London.
“The decision to postpone the tournament was not reached lightly as the boxers had been preparing for the finals to take place at the end of November. But we want to apologise to them for the inconvenience and ensure them that we have their best interest at heart.”
As if that is not enough, the Xaba Promotions (XP) clash which was to be held at the same venue on Sunday has also been pushed back to December 11 or 13.
The show was to feature the IBO world junior bantamweight title defence by Lwandile Sityatha against Filipino challenger Michael Dasmarinas as well as an IBO Intercontinental title clash between Xolani Mcotheli and Marbon Bodiongan from Philippines.
Thembelani Maphuma and Sithembiso Faye were to vie for the vacant SA junior bantamweight crown.
But XP boss Ayanda Matiti said the show was pushed back to avoid logistical challenges of organising everything on the week of the tournament.
Matiti assured that the show would be held either on December 11 or December 13 if his negotiations with fellow promoter Siphatho Handi who has a tournament on the day to swap dates are successful.
Big bouts put on ice – for now
The first to be shelved is the Premier Boxing League (PBL) tournament which would have featured the long-anticipated finals carrying a staggering
R1-million prize.
The show was to be held at Orient Theatre on Friday and would have been a culmination of an ambitious programme initiated by former boxing commentator Dicksy Ngqula of selecting 16 boxers to compete in a league format in four divisions with the one tallying the most points walking away with the R1-million prize.
The programme started in June last year but has encountered challenges leading to the long delay before crowning its first champion which was expected to be either Duncan Village Xolisani Ndongeni or Macbute Sinyabi this weekend.
Ngqula said the decision to postpone the finals was taken after extensive discussions with PBL partners and the recent stringent requirements by Boxing SA (BSA) demanding purse monies to be submitted 30 days or at least 14 days in advance.
“The event was initially planned but not officially confirmed for November 28 2014 however logistics for the tournament prompted the organisers to
re-schedule,” Ngqula said.
“This is in light of funder timelines and BSA deadlines which were not aligned.”
Ngqula has already butted heads with BSA over the submission of purse monies when the regulatory body called off the PBL show in Port Elizabeth in August on the basis that the 30 day deadline had not been met.
But Ngqula, backed by Eastern Cape Promoters Association successfully challenged the cancellation in court.
Ngqula said the finals will now be held on January 24 in venue yet to be decided in East London.
“The decision to postpone the tournament was not reached lightly as the boxers had been preparing for the finals to take place at the end of November. But we want to apologise to them for the inconvenience and ensure them that we have their best interest at heart.”
As if that is not enough, the Xaba Promotions (XP) clash which was to be held at the same venue on Sunday has also been pushed back to December 11 or 13.
The show was to feature the IBO world junior bantamweight title defence by Lwandile Sityatha against Filipino challenger Michael Dasmarinas as well as an IBO Intercontinental title clash between Xolani Mcotheli and Marbon Bodiongan from Philippines.
Thembelani Maphuma and Sithembiso Faye were to vie for the vacant SA junior bantamweight crown.
But XP boss Ayanda Matiti said the show was pushed back to avoid logistical challenges of organising everything on the week of the tournament.
Matiti assured that the show would be held either on December 11 or December 13 if his negotiations with fellow promoter Siphatho Handi who has a tournament on the day to swap dates are successful.
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