There will be no mismatches featuring the World Boxing Federation (WBF) in future, warned the organisation’s president Howard Goldberg yesterday.
He was responding to this writer’s question regarding a match-up, allegedly sanctioned by the WBF, for the organisation’s junior lightweight title between Sam Sithole and Brendan Naude, which is scheduled for February 26 at Pinetown Civic Centre.
According to the fight programme of promoter Zandile Malinga, her tournament will be headlined by an ABU SADC bantamweight title fight between Musawenkosi Ndwandwe and Arnel Lubisi. The tournament is awaiting the approval by Boxing SA’s sanctioning committee.
Sithole, from Mpumalanga, has been around since 2004 and has an unimpressive fight history of 10 wins, 15 losses and four draws. In 29 fights he is yet to win a title, and has not won a fight since 2018.
On the other hand, Naude, from KwaZulu-Natal, also does not have a very good record, – with six wins and seven losses.
“Sam Sithole is not fighting for our title,” said Goldberg yesterday. “It would be a terrible fight to sanction. I am giving it to you on record that if they fight it will not be for a WBF title. My committee looked at that proposed fight for only a second and said no. There will be no rubbish fights featuring the WBF in the future; no fighters with negative fight records; we want to put the bar up.”
Goldberg is still basking in glory after Claressa Shield’s stylish unanimous points decision win over previously unbeaten Ema Kozin over the weekend in England. The American, who brands herself “The GWOAT”, which abbreviates the “Greatest Woman Of All Time”, defended her WBC, WBA, IBF and WBF middleweight belts with a lopsided points decision of 100-90 from all three judges.
“I like people who criticise us, although they have short memory,” said Goldberg. “Do they still remember which titles Ilunga Makabu, Kevin Lerena, Zolani Tete and Noni Tenge won before being given opportunities by other sanctioning bodies, I doubt it.”
Makabu’s title was the WBF cruiserweight belt and today holds the WBC belt while Lerena first held the same organisation’s Africa cruiserweight belt before adding the IBO strap in his collection. Tete was the WBF flyweight champion before winning IBF and WBO belts. Tenge won the WBF junior welterweight belt before the IBF gave her a chance, which she grabbed with both hands.
No more rubbish fights featuring the WBF – Goldberg
Sithole vs Naude ‘not sanctioned' by the federation
Image: Supplied
There will be no mismatches featuring the World Boxing Federation (WBF) in future, warned the organisation’s president Howard Goldberg yesterday.
He was responding to this writer’s question regarding a match-up, allegedly sanctioned by the WBF, for the organisation’s junior lightweight title between Sam Sithole and Brendan Naude, which is scheduled for February 26 at Pinetown Civic Centre.
According to the fight programme of promoter Zandile Malinga, her tournament will be headlined by an ABU SADC bantamweight title fight between Musawenkosi Ndwandwe and Arnel Lubisi. The tournament is awaiting the approval by Boxing SA’s sanctioning committee.
Sithole, from Mpumalanga, has been around since 2004 and has an unimpressive fight history of 10 wins, 15 losses and four draws. In 29 fights he is yet to win a title, and has not won a fight since 2018.
On the other hand, Naude, from KwaZulu-Natal, also does not have a very good record, – with six wins and seven losses.
“Sam Sithole is not fighting for our title,” said Goldberg yesterday. “It would be a terrible fight to sanction. I am giving it to you on record that if they fight it will not be for a WBF title. My committee looked at that proposed fight for only a second and said no. There will be no rubbish fights featuring the WBF in the future; no fighters with negative fight records; we want to put the bar up.”
Goldberg is still basking in glory after Claressa Shield’s stylish unanimous points decision win over previously unbeaten Ema Kozin over the weekend in England. The American, who brands herself “The GWOAT”, which abbreviates the “Greatest Woman Of All Time”, defended her WBC, WBA, IBF and WBF middleweight belts with a lopsided points decision of 100-90 from all three judges.
“I like people who criticise us, although they have short memory,” said Goldberg. “Do they still remember which titles Ilunga Makabu, Kevin Lerena, Zolani Tete and Noni Tenge won before being given opportunities by other sanctioning bodies, I doubt it.”
Makabu’s title was the WBF cruiserweight belt and today holds the WBC belt while Lerena first held the same organisation’s Africa cruiserweight belt before adding the IBO strap in his collection. Tete was the WBF flyweight champion before winning IBF and WBO belts. Tenge won the WBF junior welterweight belt before the IBF gave her a chance, which she grabbed with both hands.
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