Little credit is given to Edward Levine by the South African boxing fraternity, though he gave local boxers opportunities to fight for IBO titles.
This made it possible for most of them to get recognised by other sanctioning boxing bodies.
Levine, the president of the Miami, Florida-based sanctioning body, has been supportive of local fighters since 1998.
Levine predicted that most IBO champions will in future come from SA. The former ringside judge and official with the WBO and WBU, pledged to help South African fighters the best way he could to afford them chances of becoming world champions.
After Hekkie Budler had lost the WBA Super belt to Byron Rojas in 2006, Levine approved him to contest the vacant IBO junior flyweight title which he won against Joey Canoy last year.
IBO president Levine deserves more credit
Little credit is given to Edward Levine by the South African boxing fraternity, though he gave local boxers opportunities to fight for IBO titles.
This made it possible for most of them to get recognised by other sanctioning boxing bodies.
Levine, the president of the Miami, Florida-based sanctioning body, has been supportive of local fighters since 1998.
Levine predicted that most IBO champions will in future come from SA. The former ringside judge and official with the WBO and WBU, pledged to help South African fighters the best way he could to afford them chances of becoming world champions.
After Hekkie Budler had lost the WBA Super belt to Byron Rojas in 2006, Levine approved him to contest the vacant IBO junior flyweight title which he won against Joey Canoy last year.
That victory earned Budler recognition from the IBF which sanctioned him to fight for its title.
Budler's stable-mate at the HotBox Gym of successful trainer Colin Nathan, Simphiwe "Chain Reaction" Konkco's consistency in defending his IBO mini flyweight strap has earned him the No1 spot on the WBC.
Konkco will defend his IBO mini flyweight belt for the fourth time on Sunday against Canoy in Last Born Promotion's bill at Orient Theatre.
Konkco is right at the doorstep to challenge reigning WBC mini flyweight holder Wanheng Menayothin - the 33-year-old boxer from Thailand who remains undefeated after 52 boxing matches.