TWO well-respected local match-makers Abbey “Little Rock” Mnisi and Luyanda “Lee” Kana have applauded Golden Gloves’ move.
The promotions company plans to create a platform for action-starved aspiring fighters to showcase their ring craft through their development programme.
The internationally-renowned boxing promotions company has promised to launch a development series to give up-and-coming fighters with four contests or less, an opportunity to display their skills once the ban on public gatherings has been lifted.
The much-anticipated series, which is expected to give boxing an injection at grassroots level, will consist of two tournaments at Emperors Palace in Kempton Park, Ekurhuleni.
According to Golden Gloves’ CEO Rodney Berman, the response has been overwhelming with parties all over the country expressing interest.
“We’ve had enquiries from East London, Port Elizabeth, Pretoria, Joburg and Cape Town.
“Fights are scarce as it is, and lockdown makes things really hard, and boxers must put food on the table somehow.
“We owe it to the sport to give youngsters action.
“This is our small way of doing that,” said Berman.
Gauteng-based Mnisi and his Eastern Cape counterpart Kana hailed the development programme as a good idea that will unearth more boxing talent and hope other promoters will follow suit.
“This is really a great idea. Every year, amateur boxers turn pro, pay for their licenses, blood tests and medical tests, only to be inactive throughout the year.
“I’m grateful to Golden Gloves for helping these youngsters get a chance to showcase their boxing talent,” said Mnisi.
However, Mnisi, a former African Boxing Union (ABU) super flyweight champion, said he is hoping that Golden Gloves will give as many young fighters a chance and not only certain boxers from their preferred gym.
Sharing the same sentiment, Kana said: “To give these up-and-coming fighters a platform is a brilliant idea.
“There was no space for debutants in top flight boxing for a long time, so most of them quit the sport because of a lack of fighting opportunities.
“Development tournaments that feature debutants mostly is where boxing starts.
“I will always support such ideas because I know the challenges boxers face when they are not fighting,” said Kana.
Although this development programme will not meet the deadlock of the influx of boxers who graduated from unpaid ranks in recent years, it will definitely make a difference.
South African boxing promoters have been paying more attention to well-established fighters and former amateurs.
That left the unknown entities in limbo and they eventually left the system.
