The South African middleweight title fight between current champion Phikelelani ‘Stinger’ Khumalo and Sphiwe Mbhele is set for Saturday, 30 August, after it was finally approved by Boxing South Africa (BSA).
Initially, BSA had asked Khumalo to go get a step-aside letter from Dean Promnick, who was the most eligible boxer to challenge for the title owing to him being rated number two while Mbhele occupied sixth place in the ratings.
However, Promnick lost to DonJuan van Heerden in an African Boxing Union (ABU) middleweight clash at the Emperor’s Palace in Kempton Park, Ekurhuleni, earlier this month.
Van Heerden is rated number one in South Africa, but was ineligible to challenge for the SA title at the time because he had lost his last fight to Snamiso Ntuli. But things have changed now.
“We are happy that the fight has been sanctioned after Van Heerden gave us a step-aside letter,” Reginald Khumalo, who trains his son Phikelelani, confirmed.
Phikelelani, a former footballer, became a national champion after he dethroned John Bopape in Durban almost four months ago.
Meanwhile, the main supporting bout will see highly-rated Ntuli clashing against Thembani Mhlanga in an eight rounds super-middleweight fight.
