Lonwabo Witbooi is pushing for Boxing South Africa (BSA) to force current South African junior-flyweight champion Siseko Teyisi to defend his title against Athenkosi Thongwana in his next fight.
As Thongwana’s manager, Witbooi has reminded BSA that Teyisi has a mandatory obligation to defend his title after his voluntary window expired on the 11th of July.
This followed after it emerged that there’s a wish for the Mdantsane boxer to face unbeaten Elmar Zamora from the Philippines in a vacant IBF Intercontinental junior-flyweight title on Sunday, 28 September instead of defending his SA crown.
Teyisi has defended his national crown once against Abongile Jacob in April this year since winning the SA title after he defeated Mfanuvele Ntuli last December.
“We submitted a challenge form to BSA on the 17th of July challenging Teyisi. We reminded BSA that we still want to fight against him,” Witbooi said.
Ink Sport has gathered that the BSA sanctioning committee has approved no tournament for Sunday, 28 September. Actually, no application has been lodged with BSA for a tournament on the said date.
Meanwhile, Thongwana from Duncan Village in East London wants to have a second bite at the SA junior-flyweight title after he failed at his first attempt in March 2023.
Thongwana failed in his first attempt when he challenged then SA junior-flyweight champion Mpumelelo Tshabalala, who now holds the International Boxing Organisation (IBO) title in the same division.
The 26-year-old Thongwana, who is rated number one by BSA, is coming from two success wins over Akhona Msindeli in March and Luyanda Kwankwa in October last year. – Monwabisi Jimlongo
