France Ramabolu has steadfastly refused to ‘betray’ his homeboy Lerato ‘Lights Out’ Dlamini ahead of his fight against Japanese boxer Tomoki Kameda in Japan next month.
Dlamini clashes with Kameda in an International Boxing Federation (IBF) featherweight elimination bout in Yamato Arena, Osaka, on Saturday, 24 August.
Ramabolu’s refusal followed after his two boxers Bheki Maitse and John Paul Masamba travelled to Japan to become Kameda’s sparring partners.
“Lerato is my boy, we are very close. I wouldn’t have gone to Japan even if they had invited me. I wouldn’t do anything to sabotage Lerato,” Ramabolu said.
“He comes from Welkom and I come from Virginia. It’s just a 15 minutes drive from each other’s home. I know his mother, I know everyone from his family and he knows everyone from my family. I don’t know Kameda, I don’t know his camp.”
On Maitse and Masamba sparring with Kameda, the former IBF Africa junior-middleweight champion said: “The Japanese just wanted the boxers. Releasing the boxers was not my decision to make. But then again, it was an opportunity for the boys to go learn.”
This is going to be a rematch between Dlamini and Kameda having fought against each other in October last year. Dlamini defeated Kameda by a split decision. – Monwabisi Jimlongo
