Homeboys show they have sting to prove their class
Confusion is reigning in the bantamweight list of World Boxing Super Series (WBSS) recently released by Comosa AG.
So far the list has no Japanese star Naoya Inoue even though he publicly committed as a participant after beating Englishman Jamie McDonnell to capture the WBA regular title less than two months ago.
The boxers who have been officially confirmed are Mdantsane’s Zolani Tete, who holds the WBO title, WBA king Ryan Burnett, IBF champion Emmanuel Rodriguez and the latest entry is Australian Jason Moloney.
There are also unconfirmed reports that Russian four fight novice Mikhail Aloyan may be considered.
Moloney’s name was confirmed this week with his IBF mandatory cited as a reason he has made the nod.
The draw for the series which will be part of Season II is scheduled to be conducted in Moscow, Russia on July 22.
This is set to coincide with the finals of the cruiserweight between WBA and IBF champion Murat Gassiev of Russia and Ukranian Oleksandr Uysk who holds the WBO and WBC crowns.
Comosa AG which hold the rights to the WBSS whose divisional winner will walk away with the Mohammad Ali Trophy also revealed that the junior-welterweight has also officially been selected as the other weight for the series.
The draw in the division will also be held on the same day in Moscow. However as it was the case in Season I when the WBSS featured cruiserweight and super-middleweight divisions, there is still reluctance of giant American TV networks to be involved.
According to reports organisers have entered into a deal with new streaming service DAZN which was recently in the news for signing a multibillion-dollar deal with English promoter Eddie Hearn.
The composition of the bantamweight has even left Tete camp in the dark about who the other participants would be.
“I thought there would be eight boxers in the series including Inoue but so far I am in the dark as to other developments,” said Tete’s manager Mla Tengimfene.
However the pairing of Moloney and Rodriguez has fuelled perceptions that all the title-holders could be allowed to sort out their mandatories in the quarterfinals.
Tete’s mandatory is Juan Carlos Payano of Dominican Republican who is also yet to be officially unveiled as part of the series. Payano is a 34-year-old southpaw who has lost just once in 21 bouts against Rau'shee Warren who Tete once chased for a showdown. He does not pose too much danger though having just stopped nine of his 20 victims. The Eastern Cape open boxing team at the elite championships in Mpumalanga is tearing the opposition apart with a hundred percentage record so far.
The championships are the biggest in the history of amateur boxing (now called open boxing) with close to 200 boxers battling for supremacy.
Of that number the Eastern Cape has sent 25 boxers and so far none has dropped a bout as they are all romping to emphatic victories since the event started on Wednesday.
By yesterday the Eastern Cape had fielded four boxers with all producing breathtaking performances to outwit their adversaries.
Leading the pack was Sonwabile Marenene who made light work of Rofhiwa Nemukula in their junior-welterweight clash.
Masibulele Mjila was also not to be denied in his welterweight clash against KwaZuluNatal’s Sizwe Ngema as he ran out a clear winner.
Bongani Noncelo also carried too many guns for Litshani Tshikhudo in their bantamweight encounter running out an easy winner.
In their lightweight bout Onke Meyeliseli also romped home against Limpopo’s Cedric Chauke to cap a wonderful start to the championships by the Eastern Cape team.
There were other bouts scheduled to punch off late yesterday involving a bevy of Eastern Cape boxers.
At least four other boxers were slated to step into the ring and book their berth in the next round.
The championships are held to form part of the centenary celebrations of former statesman Nelson Mandela as well as the 27th anniversary of the championships since they punched off in 1991.
Held under the ambit of SA National Boxing Organisation (Sanabo) the event is also expected to select the national team to the major international event.
Sanabo president Andile Mofu has lauded the standard of competition at the championships, alluding it to the activity of some provinces which had previously been starved of action.
“Provinces such as Northern Cape have come to the fore in these championships and that is the product of the development strategies we have embarked on,” he said.
The Northern contingent totalled 23 boxers at the championships.