Weird as it may sound, perhaps “jinxed” is a suitable adjective to describe continuous distractions that are preventing boxers from fighting for the vacant SA junior welterweight belt.
It has been vacant since Ntethelelo Nkosi relinquished it in April last year to participate in the inaugural World Boxing Council (WBC) Grand Prix Series in Saudi Arabia.
He had signed to make his mandatory defence against Aphiwe Mboyiya on April 27 last year.
Nkosi’s trainer Damien Durandt was unsuccessful in his plea with Boxing SA to have Nkosi exempted from facing Mboyiya.
Nkosi had no option but to vacate.
Ushered to battle by Durandt and his assistant, Andson Kazembe, Nkosi lost in the semifinals.
Nkosi from Mtubatuba in KwaZulu-Natal is understood to have earned almost R1m in that tournament, which featured four weight divisions.
He has now blown his chances of reclaiming that belt by failing to make the weight this week.
He was to face Sibusiso Zingange on Saturday evening at Emperors Palace, where WBC president, Mexican Mauricio Sulaiman, will be at ringside.
It is unclear if he supervised the WBC mini flyweight world championship fight between champion Melvin “El Gringo” Jerusalem from the Philippines and Siyakholwa “One Way” Kuse from Mdantsane.
Jerusalem and Kuse will be meeting for the second time.
Their fight headlines the 50th-anniversary commemorative event of the “Thrilla in Manila” – the third and final boxing match between reigning undisputed heavyweight world champ Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier.
The fight Ali won by a 14th-round stoppage took place at the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, Quezon City, Philippines, on October 1 1975.
That is where Jerusalem defeated Kuse on points last October 25.
Boxing SA provincial manager, Lehlohonolo Ramagole, conducted the pre-fight medical examination at Emperors Palace on Tuesday.
He told Sowetan that Nkosi’s camp requested to fight at catchweight.
“They said there is no way they will reduce nine kilograms by Friday,” said Ramagole.
Nkosi tipped the scale at 72kg. He was supposed to be 66kg.
Zingange, whose career is guided by the famous Malinga brothers – Peter, Patrick and Vus’Umuzi – was within the required limit at 65.3kg.
“Both camps agreed to meet in a non-title 10 rounds,” said Ramagole.
“He’s had a long lay-off since his last fight in Saudi Arabia; it takes time to take weight off,” Durandt said.
“He knows how to cut weight, but I could see his body was not going to make the limit.
“Both renegotiate the fight so that both boxers can step inside the ring.
“It is important that I protect my fighter’s well-being and make sure that Zingange is comfortable as well.”
Durandt said the non-title 10-rounder to be fought at 68.5kg is happening because Peter, Patrick and Vus’Umuzi are former pro boxers who know and understand that such things do happen in boxing.
Looking disheartened, Zingange said he was happy the fight was going ahead, although he had prepared himself mentally, spiritually and physically for 12 rounds which will be for the vacant SA junior welterweight belt.
“This is very unprofessional; why do I know about this today with only three days left before the fight when they knew they had weight problems?
Vus’Umuzi – who manages Zingange’s career – said, “I am disappointed by unprofessional behaviour by Ntethelelo and Damien.
“They knew a long time ago about this fight, which means they had enough time to prepare.
“Look, Sibusiso is a breadwinner who is looking after eight people; turning this fight down completely would affect all those people, so we then had to apply our minds carefully.
“Remember, he also has sponsors who want to see return on their investments, so we accepted the new arrangement, but we are very unhappy and also disappointed.”
Nkosi is rated in the space where Boxing SA lists international campaigners, while Zingange is on the No 2 spot, behind Mboyiyia.
It’s unclear as to what will happen to the rating of a boxer who loses on Saturday night.
A number of attempts to stage a fight for this vacant belt, with contracts signed already, failed.
Promoter Mzi Booi made three attempts, and his colleague, Joyce Kungwane, also tried and could not succeed.
Sowetan
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