Ayanda Ndulani’s refusal to leave his trainer Kholisile ‘KC’ Cengani and join Xaba Boxing Academy has resulted in the boxer’s fight against Mexican boxer Luis Castillo being dropped from the Xaba Promotions’ tournament set for East London’s Orient Theatre on Friday, 31 March.
Ndulani, the reigning International Boxing Organisation (IBO) minimumweight champion, had been asked to ditch Cengani and go train with former South African junior-bantamweight champion Miniyakhe Sityata and Mnyamezeli Shosha.
But that didn’t sit well with Ndulani, who continues to swear his allegiance to Cengani. And sticking to his guns forced Xaba Promotions’ boss Ayanda Matiti to decide against promoting Ndulani’s World Boxing Council (WBC) minimumweight elimination bout against Castillo.
In a letter sent to WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman on Wednesday evening, Matiti thanked the Mexican and informed him that everything is now going to be handled by Castillo’s promoter Alejandro Brito from BXSTRS Promotions as he won’t be promoting Ndulani’s fight anymore.
Matiti added that he had a meeting with his sister Sibongile on Wednesday morning and they decided that she will release Ndulani. The boxer’s promotional contract with Sibongile’s Zbashy Boxing Promotions was set to expire next year.
Now Cengani from East London is going to negotiate with Brito as it has become clear now that the fight is going to be held in Mexico.
“Ndulani was given a deadline of 3pm on Wednesday to go train at the Xaba Boxing Academy. He refused to do so despite me asking him to go there. This is a very important fight for Ndulani and he has to be comfortable with whatever he will be in. We are going to negotiate with the Mexican promoter,” Cengani remarked.
The 31-year-old Ndulani from Scenery Park in East London said: “There was no way that I was going to leave my long time manager.”
