Dispute for SA title rematch hits snag
Ndulani’s camp demands their fighter get first shot at Magusha for the crown
Once again the SA mini-flyweight title rematch between nemeses Xolisa Magusha and Siphamandla Baleni is hanging in the balance less than a month to go for its rescheduled date.
The fight is scheduled to be held at Mdantsane Indoor Centre to form part of Rumble Africa Promotion (RAP) boxing extravaganza on December 9.
It has since been slotted into the show after it could not take place in Port Alfred where it was to be organised by boxerturned promoter Macbute Sinyabi last month.
In a saga that dragged on and even forced Boxing SA to intervene by holding a tele-conference with the handlers of both boxers, the two camps eventually agreed to sign fight contracts to fight in Sinyabi’s MMT Promotion in Port Alfred.
But Sinyabi’s show was cancelled at the 11th-hour for compliance issues leaving both boxers high and dry.
In a correspondence seen by Daily Dispatch, Baleni’s camp is complaining about the lack of direction of the fight dating back when it was first proposed to feature in MMT Promotion on October 14.
This even though RAP insist that they have included the fight in their own bill of December 9.
While this is raging on Johannesburg, trainer Ricky Weinstein who trains number one rated Ayanda Ndulani who has just joined him after dumping Kholisile Cengani in a well publicised split a fortnight ago, has written to BSA demanding that his charge should get the first shot at Magusha’s title.
Weinstein whose letter from his lawyers Witz, Calicchio, Isakow & Shapiro Attorneys has been seen by Daily Dispatch argues that by virtue of being the top-rated boxer for the title and having beaten Magusha in their last fight which was downgraded at the last-minute, Ndulani should get first preference.
The letter, addressed to BSA chairperson Peter Ngatane, further states that Ndulani was approached to lodge a challenge to Magusha, which he did only to be informed that Baleni’s challenge lodged in the cancelled fight was still valid.
“We demand that BSA issues a confirmation in writing that our client’s boxer Ndulani will engage in a title fight on December 9,” the letter reads.
“Our boxer’s client has been traning hard for this fight.”
Weinstein confirmed that he had no choice but to approach his lawyers on realising that Ndulani was to be bypassed.
“Yes our lawyers have challenged the fight between Baleni and Magusha on the basis that Ndulani deserves the first preference,” said Weinstein.
The saga stems in part from the controversial criteria adopted by BSA to approve national title bouts.
This when a horde of boxers fighting for national titles get disqualified while Ngatane is approving them for the ABU titles.
The first fight between Magusha and Ndulani was initially scheduled to feature the national title only for BSA to disqualify it on the basis that Ndulani did not meet the criteria.
Ngatane then made the ABU title for which he is a represantive available with Ndulani subsequently winning it.
While this is going on RAP have refused to be drawn into the saga arguing that the bout has no impact on the scheduled tournament. “We simply took over the fight from MMT Promotion when they could not organise it as arranged. If there are issues we will simply take it out of our programme and continue with the rest of our tournament,” said RAP coordinator Mfesi Nyathela.
We demand that BSA confirms that Ndulani will fight in December