Zulu king-Mayweather boxing promoter suspended over fiasco

22 February 2023 - 11:43
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Boxer Floyd Mayweather Jnr attends an NBA game between the LA Lakers and Boston Celtics at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
Boxer Floyd Mayweather Jnr attends an NBA game between the LA Lakers and Boston Celtics at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
Image: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

The promoter behind the aborted tournament that was supposed to feature Floyd Mayweather and Zulu King Misuzulu last year has been suspended, regulator Boxing SA (BSA) said on Wednesday morning.

Jacob Mnisi, the central figure behind J4Joy Promotions, will face a disciplinary hearing.

“The suspension is based, among others, on developments around the invitation of Floyd Mayweather to South Africa and actions around the tournament,” BSA said.

“[BSA] will in due course conduct a disciplinary hearing against Mnisi and further details will not be divulged until the disciplinary hearing is concluded.”

The tournament was scheduled to be staged at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban in December, and the promotional outfit had promised to have Mayweather and the Zulu monarch at ringside. The show was delayed three times and the venue downgraded to a community hall before being cancelled on the night of the show.

The retired US boxer started legal proceedings against J4Joy over breach of contract, and the manager of one visiting female boxer claimed they had to sleep on a bench in a hotel foyer for a few nights because the accommodation hadn’t been paid.

It is not clear whether BSA will also examine its own role in the fiasco, having allowed the show to go on for so long instead of sticking to its own rule of purses being paid at least 14 days in advance of a tournament. 


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