Boxing bodies clash

10 June 2009 - 02:00
By Bongani Magasela

THE Australia-based World Boxing Foundation could be history in the local fistic sport following a run-in with Boxing South Africa.

THE Australia-based World Boxing Foundation could be history in the local fistic sport following a run-in with Boxing South Africa.

The foundation's president Micky Croucher was quoted last week portraying the national governing body as the guilty party in a financial matter between WBF featherweight title holder Takalani Ndlovu, Oscar Chauke and World Sports Promotions.

WSP staged a WBF fight between Ndlovu and Chauke in March. Their managers, Nick Durandt and Manny Fernandez, allegedly reached a "secret agreement" with WSP that a portion of their fighters' purse money would be paid at a later stage.

Boxing SA was not privy to this arrangement. It only knew about the purse that was paid to the two fighters after their clash which Ndlovu won on points.

Croucher's statement left Boxing SA Loyiso Mtya infuriated. He wrote a strongly worded letter to Croucher and it reads in part: "We regard your statements as very unfortunate and unfair on our part."

Cape Town-based Howard Goldberg, who represents WBF in Africa, said: "The statement about us was taken out of context."