PROMOTER Branco Milenkovic says the plummeting standard of local boxing due to the national TV blackout will not prevent him from securing mega-bouts for his top fighters abroad.
"My fighters will not suffer because of what is happening right now," he said this week. "People can see that we have been active on the international scene and we will keep doing that until the situation at home improves."
Milenkovic's charges, Vus'Umuzi "Marvelous" Malinga and Jeffrey "Mongoose" Mathebula, were involved in big fights in the US recently.
However, Malinga lost his bid to win the IBF bantamweight title in his fight against Leo Santa Cruz, while Mathebula surrendered his IBF junior featherweight belt to WBO holder Nonito Donaire.
Milenkovic said the Malinga-Cruz and Mathebula-Donaire bouts were televised by major US television networks Showtime and HBO. Mathebula's fight was also televised live by SuperSport.
Milenkovic said his other two charges, IBF flyweight champion Moruti "Babyface" Mthalane and Zolani "Last Born" Tete, would be in action on two different continents on the same day.
Mthalane will make his mandatory defence against Ricardo Nunez at the Roberto Duran Arena in Panama City on September 1. Tete will do battle with Robert Sosa in an IBF junior bantamweight title eliminator in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Mthalane and Tete are stablemates trained by Nick Durandt.
Milenkovic said Mthalane, 29, was eager to move up the rankings and a victory over the 24-year-old Nunez would go a long way towards realising that aim.
"Already, world-class fighters are keen to face him, with recently dethroned WBC and Ring magazine flyweight champion Sonny Boy Jaro having openly challenged him," said Milenkovic, adding that all opponents would be considered after Mathalane's fight with Nunez.
Mthalane has 28 wins (19 KOs) and two losses, while Nunez boasts 20 knockouts in 24 bouts, also with two losses.
Milenkovic said that Tete should consider himself lucky to be fighting for a title eliminator again. He lost to Mexican Juan Rosas in November last year. Tete has 16 wins (14 KOs) and two losses, while Rosas is unbeaten in 23 fights with 14 stoppages.
Blackout bad but we box on
PROMOTER Branco Milenkovic says the plummeting standard of local boxing due to the national TV blackout will not prevent him from securing mega-bouts for his top fighters abroad.
"My fighters will not suffer because of what is happening right now," he said this week. "People can see that we have been active on the international scene and we will keep doing that until the situation at home improves."
Milenkovic's charges, Vus'Umuzi "Marvelous" Malinga and Jeffrey "Mongoose" Mathebula, were involved in big fights in the US recently.
However, Malinga lost his bid to win the IBF bantamweight title in his fight against Leo Santa Cruz, while Mathebula surrendered his IBF junior featherweight belt to WBO holder Nonito Donaire.
Milenkovic said the Malinga-Cruz and Mathebula-Donaire bouts were televised by major US television networks Showtime and HBO. Mathebula's fight was also televised live by SuperSport.
Milenkovic said his other two charges, IBF flyweight champion Moruti "Babyface" Mthalane and Zolani "Last Born" Tete, would be in action on two different continents on the same day.
Mthalane will make his mandatory defence against Ricardo Nunez at the Roberto Duran Arena in Panama City on September 1. Tete will do battle with Robert Sosa in an IBF junior bantamweight title eliminator in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Mthalane and Tete are stablemates trained by Nick Durandt.
Milenkovic said Mthalane, 29, was eager to move up the rankings and a victory over the 24-year-old Nunez would go a long way towards realising that aim.
"Already, world-class fighters are keen to face him, with recently dethroned WBC and Ring magazine flyweight champion Sonny Boy Jaro having openly challenged him," said Milenkovic, adding that all opponents would be considered after Mathalane's fight with Nunez.
Mthalane has 28 wins (19 KOs) and two losses, while Nunez boasts 20 knockouts in 24 bouts, also with two losses.
Milenkovic said that Tete should consider himself lucky to be fighting for a title eliminator again. He lost to Mexican Juan Rosas in November last year. Tete has 16 wins (14 KOs) and two losses, while Rosas is unbeaten in 23 fights with 14 stoppages.
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