Bongani Magasela
Bongani Magasela
Zolani "The Untouchable" Morali is a crownless king.
The lanky left hander lost the World Boxing Foundation (WBF) junior lightweight belt last week outside the ring.
The Australian based sanctioning body announced through its African representative, the Cape Town based Howard Goldberg, that Marali was no more their champion.
"Marali was supposed to defend before going to fight Billy Dib for the IBO belt in Australia in July, but his former trainer Nick Durandt made a commitment that his charge will defend after Dib.
"We said fine. Marali has left Nick, joined Colin Nathan and Golden Gloves announced that Marali will fight for the vacant International Boxing Organisation belt in March.
"We felt cheated, so we acted," confirmed Goldberg.
When contacted in Mdatsance for a comment yesterday, the former IBO and WBF champion, said that was news to him: "But I'm not complaining. I am under bigger men now in Brian Mitchell and there are bigger things for me in the pipeline."
Marali should have forfeited his WBF junior lightweight belt in after losing to Dib in July. Instead his camp managed to get the IBO to review the tape afterwhich an independent panel of judges scored the fight in favour of Marali.
Dib was therefore ordered to defend against Marali again but the 23 year-old Australian opted to relinquish the belt and moved down a weight where he fought and lost to Steven Luevano for the WBO belt.
Golden Gloves confirmed Marali will then fight for this vacant IBO belt in March.
Spurned WBF strips Marali
Bongani Magasela
Bongani Magasela
Zolani "The Untouchable" Morali is a crownless king.
The lanky left hander lost the World Boxing Foundation (WBF) junior lightweight belt last week outside the ring.
The Australian based sanctioning body announced through its African representative, the Cape Town based Howard Goldberg, that Marali was no more their champion.
"Marali was supposed to defend before going to fight Billy Dib for the IBO belt in Australia in July, but his former trainer Nick Durandt made a commitment that his charge will defend after Dib.
"We said fine. Marali has left Nick, joined Colin Nathan and Golden Gloves announced that Marali will fight for the vacant International Boxing Organisation belt in March.
"We felt cheated, so we acted," confirmed Goldberg.
When contacted in Mdatsance for a comment yesterday, the former IBO and WBF champion, said that was news to him: "But I'm not complaining. I am under bigger men now in Brian Mitchell and there are bigger things for me in the pipeline."
Marali should have forfeited his WBF junior lightweight belt in after losing to Dib in July. Instead his camp managed to get the IBO to review the tape afterwhich an independent panel of judges scored the fight in favour of Marali.
Dib was therefore ordered to defend against Marali again but the 23 year-old Australian opted to relinquish the belt and moved down a weight where he fought and lost to Steven Luevano for the WBO belt.
Golden Gloves confirmed Marali will then fight for this vacant IBO belt in March.