Ponteras fit to fight for title as a junior bantam
IBO okays his rise from flyweight to meet Buthelezi
International Boxing Organisation (IBO) president Edward Levine has cleared the mystery around the eligibility of Ryan Ponteras to challenge Gideon Buthelezi for the IBO junior bantamweight belt on July 28.
The fight will be staged at East London’s International Convention Centre.
The confusion is that the Filipino is not rated in the junior bantamweight division.
Ponteras has fought 197 rounds in 32 bouts in the flyweight class, where he has won only the marginal Pan Pacific International Boxing Federation (IBF) title.
He is rated No 28 by the IBO in the flyweight division.
Ponteras will be making his debut in the junior bantamweight division next week.
Responding to Sowetan’s question on the matter, the Florida, US-based IBO president explained yesterday that: “It is not unusual for a fighter to move up in a weight and challenge for a title at a higher division.
“When rerated at junior bantamweight, he would still be eligible to fight for the title at the higher weight.”
The difference between flyweight and junior bantam is about three kilograms.
Buthelezi, 31, from Boipatong in the Vaal has just defended against Angel Aviles from Mexico at Kempton Park Indoor Sports Centre.
He is a former SA, IBO, World Boxing Organisation (WBO) Africa mini flyweight, IBO junior flyweight, World Boxing Association Pan African junior bantam and WBO Africa bantamweight champ. He will actually be bidding for the third defence of the belt he won two years ago.
He has 19 wins from 24 fights, while Ponteras has won 20 of his 32 bouts.