Ryno pledges fight purse to charity

Veteran South African super-middleweight boxer Ryno Liebenberg has consistently said his long-awaited local grudge fight against unbeaten prospect Rowan Campbell at Emperors Palace on 13 March was never about money.

Now the affable 37-year-old fighter has shown he is prepared to back up that bold statement by donating his entire purse to charity.

“I will donate my entire purse to a child welfare charity of my choice or a person or institution which looks after under-privileged children. I have not decided yet, but it may be multiple beneficiaries,” Liebenberg said in a short video message on the SA Boxing Talk social media platform.

“This will be my last local fight, one everyone has been calling for. I won’t fight in South Africa again, there are no opponents left, so my time has come.

“There comes a time in life when one feels it’s time to give back and this is my way of saying thank you. I have had a great boxing career which has taken me places and I have been blessed. It is time to give back,” he added.

Liebenberg has also pledged to fight in white boxing trunks on the night and place the names of individuals and companies who get behind his cause on his shorts, no matter how big or small the donation.

Although the Liebenberg-Campbell shootout on the Golden Gloves bill has the pulling power to feature as a headline fight, it will feature as the main supporting bout to Kevin

Lerena’s tilt at the WBC bridger-weight silver title against Belgian opponent Bilal Laggoune.

If current Covid-19 lockdown regulations persist, the tournament will be a closed-door affair.