Kungwane, Ndongeni enter into war of words

Boxing promoter Joyce Kungwane has not taken kindly to former world champion Xolisani œNomeva Ndongeni™s comments that there are only two credible boxing promoters in the country.

Ndongeni, who was one of the delegates at last week's Gauteng Boxing Convention and led the commissions of the boxers, said that it was only Golden Gloves Promotions and ESPN Boxing Africa, who knew what they were doing.

"'Mam J', I heard you saying that 'Nomeva' is going to fight three fights, it's not a sure thing. There's no promoter here in South Africa that will give a boxer [details] that, 'You're going to fight on this day, this day, and this day throughout the year, and you can go and prepare yourself,'" said Ndongeni.

"Every fight comes as a surprise in South Africa, it's not supposed to be like that. It's only Golden Gloves that have dates set for the whole year, that I know of. And now the new promoters are ESPN, [as for] the rest, you're always gambling to get fights.

"You are never giving fighters the right direction, all of you. So, you can't blame boxers for not understanding when they are going to fight, because you also don't know. Let us be straight and just do things the right way.

"The only promoter that knows what they're doing here is Golden Gloves and ESPN, the rest... They are just gambling."

Kungwane, speaking to SABC Sport on the sidelines of the Convention organized jointly by Boxing South Africa (BSA) and the Gauteng government, felt disrespected by Ndongeni™s comments.

The sister of the late Kaizer Chiefs star Isaac œShakes Kungwane, says she is one of the few promoters who has been giving the Eastern Cape-born boxer the opportunity to resurrect his career.

"There are issues and we raised them to say, there's a question of responsibilities. Who's responsible for this? And that's what we, as promoters, have been saying need to be clarified by BSA, to say who's responsible for some of the things," responded Kungwane.

"Unfortunately, Velile, as promoters, we were actually very disturbed by some of the comments, where a boxer told us we don't know what we're doing. For me, personally, the boy - that I've regarded as my own boy and my boxer - was dumped some years back and I took him out and brought him back.

"For the past years he has been fighting - last year alone, he had three fights. But, when he stands up today, he says to us we don't know what we're doing, actually, that was very offensive."

Ndongeni fought in the first TLB Promotions tournament that was held at the Time Square in Pretoria back in 2018, and that was where he won the WBF Lightweight title against Namibian boxer Abraham Ndaendopha.

Kungwane, who founded TLB Promotions together with late former IBF world champion Lehlohonolo Ledwaba and another former world champion in Jan Bergman, has established herself in this male-dominated boxing promotions industry.

By Velile Mnyandu