Ledwaba and Botile won't fight it out
By Phil Nyamane
Golden Gloves Promotions have allayed the fears of their fighters as well as followers of boxing by disclosing that they do not intend matching two popular local former world champions against each other.
Former International Boxing Federation junior featherweight champion, Lehlohonolo "Hands of Stone" Ledwaba and former IBF feather champion, Mbulelo Botile, will, instead, be eased back into world championship contention.
"The story of the two meeting was only speculative," admitted GGP's publicist Terry Pettifer. "It wouldn't be in the interests of both men to fight each other."
Ledwaba's manager Norman Hlabane was surprised by newspaper reports which suggested the fight was on.
"It's just talk and no contracts have been signed," said Hlabane. "I've discussed the possibility of getting a rematch (against Manny Pacquiano) with Rodney Berman (head of GGP). We also spoke about a possible shot at the World Boxing Organisation title.
"Rodney did mention Botile to me but I said I was going to think about it."
The proposed controversial bout, released by GGP at the weekend - apparently to test public opinion - was not well received in boxing circles.
The general feeling was that such a fight would be destructive as it would not enhance the career of either fighter. Both are debilitating punchers and, win or lose, they would have gone a long way to destroying each other.
Botile, 29, lost the IBF featherweight crown in his first defence when he was outpointed by unfancied Frankie Toledo. Botile had won the title after a near fatal knockout of England's Paul Ingle.
Ledwaba, 30, lost the vacant crown he won against John Johnson at Carnival City and which he successfully defended five times. He was then beaten by Manny Pacquiano in Las Vegas in June.
While the defeats did hurt the careers of the two fighters, they both have a chance of clawing their way back to the top. Pettifer concedes that both fighters looked jaded on the nights they lost. He suspected that Botile had not fully overcome the shock of knocking out Ingle who was rushed to hospital in a coma where a blood clot was removed from his brain.
Ingle, incidentally, is back in the sport but not in the ring. He helped in the corner of featherweight Scott Miller when he outpointed Peter Buckley over four rounds in Sheffield last month.
Ledwaba said although he can move up to the feathers, he is more comfortable as a junior feather and his priority is to reclaim his belt. "Don't write me off. I'm not out yet," he warned.
- Fourth-ranked KwaZulu Natal welterweight champion Mthokozisi Mthembu will face former WBU and IBO welter champion and holder of the WBU Millennium belt, Peter "Dark Destroyer" Malinga, over 10 rounds at Caesars Gauteng on Monday night. This Box and Dine affair heads a Branco Universal Enterprise bill that is still be finalised. It is the first time that boxing will be staged at Caesars Gauteng.