WeeklySA_AdminRING RUSTY: Seven months have lapsed since Captain Charisma won his world title with no defence fight in sight
By Pule Mokhine
If there is any boxing champion that is worried sick at not getting into the ring soon to defend his world crown, it is none other than Thato “Captain Charisma” Bonokoane.
Ever since winning the World Boxing Federation (WBF) junior featherweight title in October last year after beating Diego Alberto Ruiz from Argentina at Feather Market Hall in Gqeberra, Eastern Cape, Bonokoane has never tasted any action.
By his own admission, having been inactive for nearly eight months now has gotten Bonokoane extremely worried.
He is now beginning to question his own prospects in the ring as world kingpin in addition to being an inactive professional pugilist.
According to well-documented boxing rules, a world champion is allowed at least a 90-day period by which to make a mandatory title defense of his diadem after annexing it. He may also be involved in any non-title action.
But this seems not the case with the vastly talented fighter based in Kagiso on the West Rand. At the age of 32, Bonokoane believes, as a world champ, he is now at a delicate stage of his career where he should be having more action in the ring quite often by virtue of him being a title holder. However, he says, this is not happening and is now beginning to hamper his career negatively.
Bokoane was at pains to explain that his lack of throwing punches competitively also included non-championship contests. The man voted WBU’s best fighter for 2022 at the association’s convention in Cape Town in March, said the delay to keep him active was making him to run out of patience, adding that this was beginning to take a toll on his career as it was being stifled.
“As a world champion, I was supposed to have been kept busy with fights, but no promoter seems to be coming forward. It’s been too long now since
I last boxed when winning the world belt. Not even a single e promoter has taken it upon himself to organize at least a fight for me to keep me going,” said a worried Bonokoane. He is also extremely concerned about not throwing punches to enable him to eke out a decent living because of lack of fights.
Bonokoane revealed he pocketed R100 000 for annexing the WBU belt which he has described as “peanuts”. By boxing standards, a fighter is entitled a purse of at least R1 million for winning a championship belt of any sanctioning world body.
Having not made hit this jackpot has also added to Bonokoane ‘s woes. “At my age as world champion, I believe I am supposed to have as many bouts as possible now because my career is about to end soon. My spirit is slowly wearing down because of me not having gotten any fights since I last fought,” he moaned.
The boxer’s trainer Charity Mukondeleli described his charge’s situation as “dire”, saying he was considering taking the boxer tp Russia or Germany for an eight-round fight there.
“Look, a boxer has to pay his bills and the only way to do that is to keep fighting, but this not the case right now. He needs to be as active enough as possible to put food on the table for himself and his family,” said Mukondeleli, who was voted WBU’s best trainer.
“By fighting abroad, he will at least earn something decent.” Mukondeleli has fired a broadside salvo at local promoters “killing boxing” by not organizing fights. “Many of the promoters are no longer active in staging fights as they used to do in the past. This is killing the sport. Right now, boxing is dead,” said Mukondeleli. The disbandment of the Gauteng Boxing Promoters Association by the National Promoters Association last December led to a drop in action inside the ring.
Prominent promoting body J4Joy, that was supposed to bring former world champion Floyd Mayweather to SA as guest here last year, was suspended by Boxing SA for causing confusion.
SPRING VERSUS AUTUMN
HISTORIC: Devin Haney defends his laurels against the Old Master leftie Vasiliy Lomachenko
By Sports Reporter
Who will blossom after budding, yet who will dry, parch, crackle and wither on the vine, during a premature fall, this Saturday in Las Vegas, when Undisputed Lightweight Champion Devin Haney defends his laurels against the Old Master leftie Vasiliy Lomachenko.
Both use smarts to inflict smarting well executed, resonating, precise, pinpoint blows. Both have exceptional ring IQ`s and both know full well that whoever wins will be the Swot of Swats….in a class of their own/won. The teacher`s ruler in this no margin for error tutorial.
Who will doff to the Prof?
While Devin is younger, bigger and fresher, Loma is the acknowledged seasoned maestro, The Old Master and the former champ, who is determined to vamp plus stamp his authority, to place himself back on to the church spire pinnacle, with realistically one last chance to reach that exalted summit in this rarefied atmosphere, which is rather more ideally suited to young hearts, reinforced by nimble pins.
At the World Boxing Council`s Martes a Cafe, which included a seafood lunch, celebrating its eighteenth golden year, President Mauricio Sulaiman, contemplated and lightly touched upon the hors d´oeuvres segments, leading up to Saturday night`s main course of Dream Vs Loma.
He said: “They are without doubt, the creme de la creme of boxing. Haney has proven over and over again, he`s a great champion. While Lomachenko is a legendary double Olympic champion and as a pro a great world champion in three divisons. It`s going to be an absolutely great fight. Lomachenko is a warrior. He`s going to try his best so that the young man doesn`t defeat him, so he`s going to give of his best, and this will be an historic fight.
“If Devin Haney wins, he will be a Superstar. He`s already a star. Victory will propel him to the even higher level. This is why this fight will be so absolutely fascinating!”
Published on the 99th Edition
