By Monwabisi Jimlongo
Gauteng boxing promoter Joyce Kungwane has punched holes into former world female champion Sharadene Fortuin’s story of promoters failing to give her fights.
Fortuin told Ink Sport on Tuesday that she had decided to quit boxing because of a lack of fights. But that has been countered by Kungwane of TLB Boxing Promotions, who said that she offered Fortuin a fight against Malawian Ellen Simwaka last year.
Kungwane said Fortuin, a former International Boxing Organisation (IBO) female bantamweight champion, chickened out and opted against facing Simwaka.
“She’s manipulating people’s feelings. Let me put this straight, Sharadene came to Gauteng in August last year. That was the time when I had a Women in Boxing event where we had food parcels for women boxers. I even got them a sponsorship for a Relief Fund,” Kungwane said.
“Maybe Sharadene should tell people about how she came to Gauteng. We put together money for her to travel to Gauteng.”
Kungwane added that she was preparing a tournament at the time and Fortuin was going to be part of it.
“We were already preparing for a tournament at the time and Sharadene had agreed to fight in my tournament. She was still with Harry (Ramogoadi-Manaka) at the time. I told Harry that I wanted to sign Sharadene as one of my boxers,” Kungwane said.
“I had planned for her to fight against Ellen and she agreed only to change her mind later. I wanted her to shake off ring rust then give her a title fight in December. She called asking me to get her a weaker opponent than Ellen. I refused because that is not how I work.
“Even up to now she is still receiving money from the Relief Fund. Last month I mistakenly made two payments to her. I called asking her to reverse the money, she never did that.”
Meanwhile, Fortuin has hit back saying she refused to fight in Kungwane’s tournament because she didn’t want to pay her.
“There is no such thing. I refused to fight in her tournament because she didn’t want to pay me. Saying I’m getting money from the Relief Fund is a lie,” Fortuin said.
