In not so many words, trainer-cum-manager Sean Smith has made it clear that Tiisetso Matikinca is not going fight next week despite the International Boxing Federation (IBF) having a bout between him and Lusizo Manzana in its schedule.
The New Jersey-based organisation’s schedule says that Matikinca and Manzana are going to face off in an IBF Continental Africa bantamweight title contest in Johannesburg on Saturday next week.
Owing to a contractual dispute with Matikinca, Smith has vowed that the fight will not go ahead as long as their problems have not been resolved.
“Nothing has been resolved yet and he won’t be fighting next week,” Smith remarked.
The unbeaten Matikinca’s troubles started after he left Smith to join manager-cum-trainer Colin ‘Nomakanjani’ Nathan at his Hot Box Gym last month.
Matikinca, who has 10 wins with eight knockouts, said: “The fight is on next week even though we are still waiting for BSA to resolve the dispute.”
Contacted for comment, BSA chief executive officer Tsholofelo Lejaka said: “The arbitration policy guides how such a matter may be handled. Currently, the matter is at a conciliation process. Should the conciliation process fail to produce an agreement, the aggrieved party will be at liberty to escalate it to arbitration. The conciliation process is a voluntary procedure and its outcomes are non-binding, but once it gets to arbitration the outcomes will be binding.” – Monwabisi Jimlongo
