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Boxer Azinga Fuzile's camp lodges protest with the IBF over use of ’smelling salts’

Azinga Fuzile was "robbed", according to his camp.
Azinga Fuzile was "robbed", according to his camp.
Image: Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images

Eastern Cape boxer Azinga Fuzile's camp has lodged a protest over an incident that took place before his devastating knockout in the eighth round to Shavkat Rakhimov in their IBF world lightweight title elimination bout in East London on Sunday.

Rakhimov’s handler Ruslan Agishev was caught on video administering what looked like “smelling salts” in the nostrils of the boxer in the corner between round seven and eighth.

Any use of substances‚ including smelling salts‚ is banned in boxing with Boxing South Africa (BSA) regulations explicit about their prohibition.

BSA chief executive Tsholofelo Lejaka‚ who was present at the fight‚ has written to the IBF to register his protest about the Russian’s use of the substance.

Fuzile’s manager Colin Nathan confirmed that the protest was lodged to the IBF whose president Darly Peoples was also in attendance at the fight.

“When Darly gets back home in US he will get our love letter‚” Nathan said.

The winner of the fight is scheduled to challenge IBF champion Tevin Farmer.