BEST TO BE HONOURED
Boxing sponsor makes re-appearance
Confusion still reigns over the return of revered sponsor Old Buck Gin after Boxing SA confirmed that it is yet to be presented with formal details.
Old Buck, once one the most recognisable national boxing financial partners, announced recently that it was returning to the sport through a series of initiatives.
However unlike in the past, the company will no longer sponsor the national belts. The new plan is to honour fighters after good performances in the ring.
It will come through Devin Currer, who is the ring announcer for most boxing tournaments around the country.
Currer said as ring announcer he will pick an outstanding fighter who will be crowned as the boxer of the tournament and receive R5,000.
All the boxers who have been chosen from various tournaments will then go to a draw where an overall winner will be selected and be handed, among other prizes, an Old Buck Belt.
However, details remain sketchy on how this will be done as Currer does not do ring announcing in all tournaments.
“I will choose a winner in all those tournaments I will be doing ring announcing in,” he said.
A slight confusion is the fact that Currer is not the only ring announcer in the country.
Either he will have to be assigned to do ring announcing in all tournaments which in — turn will present its own challenges as other ring announcers will feel sidelined and lose out on paydays or, if he does not — get assigned, boxers performing in those shows will miss out on being considered for the competition.
Asked how this will be managed, BSA acting CEO Cindy Nkomo said no official interaction has been done with Currer and Old Buck Gin as yet.
“As Mr Currer mentioned, this is still an initiative and when we have been formally engaged and there is clarity on what the plan is, we will be in a better position to comment,” Nkomo said.
However, the return of Old Buck Gin to boxing has been hailed owing to their long partnership with the sport.
Nkomo said the return would be great for boxing.
We must applaud meaningful “initiatives to bring excitement to the sport and to create an environment where brands can operate and contribute to bringing back the prestige boxing deserves,” she added.