Promoter’s IBF cup runneth over
WITH national boxing still basking in the glory of Hekkie Budler’s ring achievement, came yet another feather in the cap after East London promoter Ayanda Matiti won the promoter of the year at the IBF Convention at the weekend.
Matiti’s Xaba Promotion and Events (XPE) was the only African promoter to walk away with the Intercontinen- tal promoter of the year in the recently ended IBF indaba in Italy.
The award adds to the accolade of being voted as the 2017 national promoter of the year at the awards ceremony held in Port Elizabeth in February.
Matiti was over the moon with the award, describing it as the vote of confidence for XPE brand.
“It is encouraging to note that the XPE brand is recognised and appreciated in the boxing fraternity,” he said.
The award caps an impressive international run for XPE having also been voted as the most active promoter for the IBF Africa, Middle East and Persian Gulf in 2016.
The achievement comes even though boxing is battling to attract television coverage.
This has forced other promoters including XPE, to approach SuperSport which has been airing Matiti’s shows in East London as SABC has not been televising fights.
BSA chief executive Tsholofelo Lejaka hailed XPE’s achievement, emphasising that the award put SA boxing on the map.
“This is a major achievement for SA boxing and the African continent at large,” he said.
“We congratulate XPE for yet another milestone in their quest of developing and promotion in our sport of boxing. Like Winston Churchill once said: ’The price of greatness is responsibility.’ This now bestows on XPE an even greater responsibility to continue building on this attainment and maintain the bar on all fronts.”
The achievement comes just after Budler became the first-ever SA boxer to win three major world titles after beating Japanese Ryoichi Taguchi in Tokyo three weeks ago.
Budler’s feat has suddenly thrust SA boxing into the limelight.
XPE has proven to be the premier promotional outfit in the continent despite their infancy having only been formed in 2007. It has grown into arguably the biggest black-owned boxing promotion company in the continent, boasting top fighters who are on the brink of making a breakthrough on the world stage.
Fighters such as Ludumo Galada, Simpiwe Vetyeka and Mzuvukile Magwaca are considered ready to challenge for world titles while rising stars such as Yanga Sigqibo, Sikho Nqothole and Uyanda Nogogo are poised to make their mark in the future.