By Monwabisi Jimlongo
Chances are high that newly-crowned International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior-flyweight king Sivenathi ‘Special One’ Nontshinga might not fight in South Africa as long he’s still a world champion.
This is what Rumble Africa Promotions (RAP) chairman Teris Ntutu said as the country is still celebrating having a champion in one of world boxing’s top four bodies – World Boxing Council (WBC), World Boxing Association (WBA), IBF and the World Boxing Organisation (WBO).
Nontshinga, who is expected back in South Africa on Tuesday morning, defeated Mexican boxer Hector Flores to win the vacant IBF junior-flyweight title at the Centro de Usos Multiples in Hermosillo, Sorona, Mexico, on Sunday morning (South African time).
Ntutu revealed that his promotional outfit will work with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom to take Nontshinga’s boxing career forward.
“The plan is to have Nontshinga fighting overseas again. Remember, if Azinga (Fuzile) had won last year he would have been promoted by Matchroom going forward. Unfortunately, he didn’t win,” Ntutu said.
“This is the same approach with Nontshinga. He will be promoted abroad by Matchroom. You must remember that Matchroom has given our boxers nice opportunities.”
Hearn, who was a co-promoter of this past weekend’s tournament in Hermosillo, promoted Fuzile’s IBF junior-lightweight title fight against Kenichi Ogawa in the United States in November last year.
Unfortunately, Fuzile lost to the Japanese boxer and the loss scuppered his chances of fighting in Hearn’s shows again.
“We are not impossible. We cannot pretend as if we are in the same league as Matchroom. We cannot be unfair to our boys,” Ntutu concluded.
