Bongani Magasela

Bongani Magasela

Loyiso Mtya has dumped the Ultimate Strike Promotions (USP) like a hot potato, opting for an unknown promoter to present the finals of the Baby Champs next Friday night.

That is probably because that nameless promoter raised the R200 000 demanded by Mtya for purse monies for the boxers and for other expenses related to the tournament. But the total purse money is only R102000.

Mark Hey, an executive member of USP, is livid after being dumped.

"We saved their arse twice in a short space of time but now they have sidelined us for the finals just because we could not raise the R200 000 that Loyiso Mtya demanded," he said.

"As a small BEE development company we were not able to lay R200000 on the table. Yes, there was no obligation from their side to give us the rights for the finals but still, a courteous call would have been appreciated.

"But instead I heard from a ring announcer in the Eastern Cape that the finals will be staged at Sammy Marks Square in Pretoria next Friday."

Hey said their consortium staged both the quarterfinals and the second leg of the semifinals in a short space of time.

Mike Makhuba from the group that services Golden Walk and Sammy Marks Square malls shared Hey's sentiments.

"Of course it is unfair of Boxing SA to sideline him. We did the semifinals at Golden Walk mall in a short space of time simply because of our good working relationship with Marc.

"We also made it clear that we would do the finals with him. I need to get clarity from Boxing SA regarding the promoter of the finals," he said.

Mtya's response was that Hey did not do him or anybody favours by staging the quarterfinals and semifinals of the Baby Champs.

"If his impression was that doing those two tournaments would automatically give him rights to stage the finals, then I am sorry", he said.