Promoter Branco Milenkovic has announced a series of IBF title fights and eliminators that will keep South African boxers prominent in the forefront of world boxing over the next three months.
Milenkovic revealed on Wednesday that the country's tearaway IBF flyweight champion, Moruti Mthalane, will meet dangerous Panamanian Ricardo Nunes in a mandatory defence of his title.
And former IBF featherweight champion Takalani Ndlovu will meet Mexican Alejandro Lopez in a final eliminator for the title he previously held.
“The big incentive bonus for Ndlovu is that he will not only get a crack at the IBF title if he beats Lopez, but it will also be against an opponent who is the dual IBF and WBO champion,” Milenkovic said.
This would materialise because fellow South African Jeffrey Mathabula, who recently deprived Ndlovu of his IBF title, is due to fight WBO champion Nonito Donaire in a high-profiled unification bout in Los Angeles on July 7.
“Losing to Mathebula was a demoralising blow and I thought I faced a long road to get back to the top,” Ndlovu said.
“Little did I realise I could be afforded the opportunity of being a unified world champion so soon.”
Milenkovic's proclaimed “boxing bonanza” for South African fighters will be completed with a daunting IBF junior bantamweight title eliminator between Zolani Tete and Argentine Roberto Sosa, who boasts a formidable record of 23 victories from his 23 fights.
“What makes this a real coup for South African fighters is that the IBF, along with the WBA, the WBC and the WBO are universally recognised as the foremost controlling bodies of world boxing,” Milenkovic said.
“The downside to this is that, because of the lack of finance and other assistance from those who profess to support boxing in South Africa, the fights on the calendar might all have to take place in the United States, Mexico, Panama or Argentina.
“I will do all within my power to see that some of these fights take place in South Africa but this can only be done if we have the money to match the purses that are being offered in other countries.” – Sapa