Mixed feelings for promoters re SABC, BSA deal

While boxers have said nothing about the three-year deal BSA and SABC signed last week, at least some promoters Sowetan spoke to were positive about what promises to be a brighter future for the sport.

The deal which begins in March guarantees fighters live action on national television until 2025. 

Promoters will be paid for their content by SABC and therefore are expected to meet boxers' financial demands.

Thando Zonke, chairperson of the Eastern Cape Promoters Association, said: “This is a wonderful progress. I think promoters are happy about the signing. I hope it will give opportunity to many promoters. At least we will now know the process of submitting proposals for all promoters in the provinces for benefit."

CEO of J4Joy International Promoter Arnold “Squire” Nododile said: “It’s a great milestone for South African sport but boxing in particular. We hope it will give birth to the growth of competent and capable boxing promoters in the country.”

Mbali “Don Queen” Zantsi of Showtime Boxing Promotions said: “It is exciting; we are excited. It looks good and it sounds good that boxing is back but there is this concern of not knowing exactly what does the memorandum of understanding says because we were not privy to it. We asked for it from BSA but we did not get it. We needed to go through it carefully and understand the contents.”

Joyce Kungwane of TLB Promotion said: “I can’t say I am excited because I don’t know the process. I don’t know people who will be responsible for allocation of dates. More so, there are cabals and if a certain promoter does [not] belong to the cabal in charge of allocation of dates obviously for me the person will not benefit.

“Saying boxing is back on SABC... what does it imply because even before it was expected it would be back, but people were not able to watch. They had to go to Telkom 1 which to me is live streaming. For any person to be able to watch they would require data bundles.”