Ronald Malindi’s trainer Bernie Pailman is adamant that his boxer wants to defend his South African bantamweight title against Rofhiwa Nemushungwa, but that fight should not be held on the 29th of May.
Pailman said this a day after Nemushungwa’s trainer Alan Toweel petitioned Boxing South Africa (BSA) seeking answers. Toweel wrote to BSA after Malindi failed to indicate as to when he will defend his title.
A letter BSA sent to Malindi on 23 March gave him 30 days to make arrangements with a promoter to stage the fight and added that failure to do so would force the organisation to order him to defend his title at a gym or venue chosen by the boxing body.
The letter also added that failure to make arrangements to defend the title might result in BSA declaring the title vacant.
The 30-day period ended on 23 April something which has led Toweel to believe that BSA needs to act against Malindi, especially after Pailman declined an offer from TK Boxing Promotions boss Tshele Kometsi for a title defence against Nemushungwa on Sunday, 29 May.
“I was offered a fight at short notice last week. Even the rules say I should have been offered the fight 30 days in advance, that’s why I say it’s short notice,” Pailman said.
“I had a meeting with TK three weeks ago and I asked him to do the fight. He said he was not interested because Ronald is a Rumble Africa boy. I then went back to Ronald and told him that TK didn’t want to do the fight.”
The Westbury-based boxing trainer added that he was surprised when Kometsi offered him the fight last week.
“TK came back to me last week and offered us the fight. I told him that we were not ready. We can fight any time if TK can come up with another date, not the 29th of May. It’s quick, it’s too short notice,” Pailman remarked.
“We really want to defend our title. Last year Ronald and I had COVID-19, that why we didn’t fight. We want to fight anywhere, any day except on the 29th of May.”
Malindi, who is unbeaten in 18 fights, has been an SA champion since September 2018. He last fought when he successfully defended his title against Lwandile Sityatha in March 2020.
Contacted for comment, Kometsi said: “I don’t want talk about Malindi. I’m busy with preparations for the 29th May tournament.”
