Promoter hints at rematch
Magusha, Kriel bout on the cards
MARCH 3 is shaping up to be the date of the best boxing event on the Eastern Cape boxing calendar after promoter Rodney Berman let it slip that he was planning to include the eagerly-awaited rematch between Xolisa Magusha and Deejay Kriel.
Already the date is dominating boxing debates as it will be topped by the Featherweight Super Four final between Duncan Village golden boy Azinga Fuzile and Lerato Dlamini.
The pair qualified for the final after beating Tshifhiwa Munyai and Simpiwe Vetyeka respectively, in the inaugural series in September.
While the final was initially scheduled to take place at Emperors Palace where the first round of the series kicked off, Berman dropped a bombshell when he said he would be moving it to East London’s Orient Theatre.
Berman will partner with Last Born Promotions and Rumble Africa Promotions to stage the event.
As if the intrigue around the tournament was not intense enough, the Golden Gloves Promotions (GGP) boss said he was planning to include the rematch between Magusha and Kriel with Kriel’s WBC silver mini-flyweight crown up for grabs.
“I am grappling with the idea but I will wait an approval from the WBC and Boxing SA before officially confirming the fight,” he said.“So far I have not told anyone about this even Magusha’s promoter Mzi Mnguni.”
Berman, however, intimated that the reasons behind pitting the two smallest boxers in the land against each other again was his consideration for Mnguni who is bound to a wheelchair after a heart attack.
“I do not want Mzi’s boys to feel his illness,” he said. “You may recall that we promoted his other champion Phila Mpontshane when he beat Lucky Monyebane so we will continue looking after his boxers.”
Magusha is still basking in glory after he hardly put a foot wrong in dethroning Siphamandlka Baleni for the SA mini-flyweight crown last month. By winning the fight, the southpaw maintained the rich heritage the mini-flyweight title has with Mnguni’s Eyethu boxing club, which was the first to produce a national champion in the division. This when Thamsanqa Sogcwe won the inaugural title by beating Zolile Ngantweni in 1992.
The club also produced the first world champion in the division when an unknown Zolani Petelo stopped Thai Ratanapol Sor Vorapin to win the IBF crown in what was then voted as the “Upset of the Year” in 1997.
Said Magusha: “If only I can get Kriel after beating Baleni my prayers would have been answered.”
Informed of Berman’s plans yesterday, Magusha could only say “Amen.”
And Mnguni was equally thrilled when informed of the news.
“This is the best New Year present for the club,” he said
Magusha and Kriel waged a memorable war of attrition at Emperors Place last April before the latter escaped with a razor-thin decision which could have gone either way.