Mbuyane has lost his WBO title
South Africa's World Boxing Organisation (WBO) bantamweight champion, Klaas Ironman Mbuyane, lost his hard earned intercontinental title after failing to defend it due to lack of financial support
POLOKWANE – South Africa’s World Boxing Organisation (WBO) bantamweight champion, Klaas Ironman Mbuyane, lost his hard earned intercontinental title after failing to defend it on Friday, 4 December due to lack of financial support.
Mbuyane, who hails from Mokopane, made SA, especially Limpopo, proud on 30 May when he outclassed Ross Burkinshaw in the fourth round during their intercontinental bantamweight fight at the Magna Centre in Rotherham, England.
Mbuyane was given 120 days to defend the title on his home soil. All efforts to stage the fight in Limpopo against the Namibian, Joseph Smokey Joe Hilongwa, fell through as the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture did not lend its support.
Mbuyane said he feels bad and heartbroken because the WBO stripped him of his title without writing an official letter to inform him.
“I just heard some boxers were competing for my title in Namibia via the media last weekend. So, let me accept I’m no longer the champion.
“The Limpopo Government talked big after I won my title, but they later failed to support me financially.
“People just talk, but they can’t put money on the table to make boxing tournaments a success. My supporters are very disappointed because they were ready to see me fight in his province,” he said.
“Now the promoter told me he is arranging for me to fight in a tournament in Port Elizabeth on Friday. However, when I checked the pool of boxers who will participate, I didn’t see my name. There is another arrangement for me to participate in the Commonwealth Boxing Tournament in England next year in February. I hope things will go well for me,” Mbuyane said.
Mbuyane’s trainer, Manny Fernandez, said there is no support for boxing in Limpopo. “We are very disappointed that Mbuyane had to relinquish his hard-earned title without putting up a fight. We needed R500 000 to stage Mbuyane’s fight. There is no support from Limpopo at the moment,” Fernandez said.
Spokesperson for the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, Malesela Ramaoko, said the department does not support individuals, but rather the federation, through a conditional grant. “Mbuyane was supposed to make arrangements with the federation. We are also disappointed to see the title being relinquished. It was not an easy achievement and relinquishing it without fighting is bad,” Ramaoko said.
