BSA PROMISES TO LOOK AT XABA TOURNEY DEBACLE

By Monwabisi Jimlongo  

Boxing South Africa (BSA) has promised to look at the circumstances around the cancellation of a tournament, which was due to be held at the Sun City Superbowl in Rustenburg on Saturday evening. 

This was a promise from acting BSA chief executive officer Erick Nsikayezwe Sithole following the decision taken by Ayanda Matiti’s Xaba Promotions to cancel Saturday’s tournament on Friday.

The tournament was set to be headlined by an IBF International junior-bantamweight clash between Phumelela ‘The Truth’ Cafu from Duncan Village in East London and Mexican boxer Rosendo Hugo Guarneros Gonzalez.

“We were told that sponsors pulled out, that’s why the tournament was cancelled. The cancellation is a contravention of the laws and regulations. We are going to look at the matter once a full report has been submitted. Xaba knows what to do from now going forward in terms of contractual obligations regarding the stakeholders that were involved including the boxers,” Sithole said. 

Matiti said on Saturday that he decided to pull the plug on the tournament after funders, who had promised to finance his show, told him that they were not bankrolling the event anymore.

“I was hoping that this won’t happen, but it has happened. The situation I was put in was just unfortunate. I tried to save the event, but it was too much for me alone to handle,” the award-winning promoter said. 

“I came here for a reason after the North West Gambling Board said it had a partner. They then came back to me saying their partner had pulled out and this became quite expensive for me. I had already spent money when that happened. I had to make sure that I met obligations that are on contracts.”

South African flyweight champion Jackson ‘M3’ Chauke was scheduled to fight against Filipino boxer Jayson Vayson in an IBF Intercontinental bout while Khaya Busakwe had been due to face Ayanda Nkosi in the first defence of his SA lightweight title.

Meanwhile, this is the second time in less than six months that a high profile tournament had been cancelled in the last hour. 

A tournament, which was going to be promoted by J4Joy Boxing Promotions in Durban in December last year, was called off on the day it was due to take place. As a result of that, BSA suspended J4Joy Boxing Promotions boss Jacob Mnisi earlier this year.