Rumble Africa Promotions (RAP) say their tournament featuring world champion Sivenathi Nontshinga is going ahead as planned next month, playing down a letter from the US-based International Boxing Federation (IBF) warning them to pay an outstanding debt or lose the bout.
Nontshinga, South Africa’s only mainstream world champion, is set to make the first defence of his IBF junior-flyweight title against Regie Suganob of the Philippines on the RAP show in East London on June 16.
But the IBF first want the East London outfit to settle a debt from July last year for a belt valued at $800 (more than R15,500).
IBF championship chairman Carlos Ortiz junior sent an e-mail to RAP personnel on Friday warning them the fight couldn’t be sanctioned until the money was paid. “Please advise on when we will be receiving your past due monies [owed] to us by Rumble Africa Promotions,” wrote Ortiz.
“We cannot formally sanction this bout until we are paid. Our bookkeeper has sent you vouchers on the past due monies [owed] to us and we still have not received a response from you. Please advise us as soon as possible regarding this overdue payment.”
The Sunday Times has seen the e-mail as well as others from IBF bookkeeper Tracey Lundy dating back to January demanding money and informing RAP that they would be suspended until payment was made.
RAP CEO Nomfesane Nyathela yesterday confirmed she was aware of the issue and insisted it wasn’t a problem. “I’m not sure if it hasn’t already been paid,” she said.
“We are busy with organising the fight and making bookings for IBF officials. The fight is going ahead … There is no way the tournament is not going ahead.”
She said the IBF had already appointed officials for the bout, showing a message from president Daryl Peoples listing himself as supervisor and American Mark Nelson as referee. The judges are Gil Co of the Philippines, top local official Deon Dwarte and Matteo Montella of Italy.
Nyathela added the Eastern Cape department of sport had already paid some of the purse money and said they were looking to get further help from the municipality, the provincial government and the national department of sport.
She said they had yet to sign private sponsors and a broadcaster.
The debt to the IBF stems from the RAP tournament in East London last year when their star fighter Ayabonga Sonjica was knocked out by Vaal Triangle-based Bongani Mahlangu for the South African and IBF African junior-featherweight crowns.
The win made Mahlangu eligible to receive the IBF belt, which is for the promoter’s account. The IBF organised the belt and presented it to Mahlangu in January.
Ortiz’s e-mail was sent on the day that Ayanda Matiti, another East London promoter, cancelled a tournament at Sun City, scheduled for Saturday, because of a lack of funding.
Matiti confirmed that all boxers would be paid 10% of their contracted purses and pointed out that the collapse of the tournament — the third show of his in a month that’s failed to go ahead — had left him out of pocket to the tune of R1m.
The sponsor of the tournament, which he said had been organised through the North West Gambling Board, had not come through, forcing him to call it off at the 11th hour.
Mexican boxer Rosendo Hugo Guaneros Gonzalez, who was supposed to fight Phumelela Cafu on the bill, would return to South Africa for a show Matiti was planning in July.
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