Dismissed contract objection clears Ngxeke world title shot

Johannesburg boxing manager Colin Nathan said wheels were in motion for Landile Ngxeke to fight for the IBF bantamweight title after Boxing SA dismissed an objection to the contract he signed two weeks ago.

Sada-born Ngxeke dumped long-time handlers Xaba Promotions to join Nathan’s No Doubt Management in pursuit of a world title, sparking a furore in SA boxing circles.

XP challenged the move even though Ngxeke had no contract with them, arguing they had guided his rise to fifth  in the IBF rankings - behind third-listed Mexican Jose Salas Reyes and fourth-ranked Takuma Inoue.

XP under Ayanda Matiti claimed that they had invested heavily in the boxer over the years and were entitled to a share of his future earnings. 

However, BSA dismissed the objection and endorsed Nathan’s contract, confirming Ngxeke was free to join any manager of his choice.

The body opened the door for XP to pursue a promotional contract with the boxer if both parties agree, giving Nathan the green light to proceed with Ngxeke’s world title clash.

The IBF has already mandated Ngxeke to face Reyes for the vacant title after Inoue turned the opportunity down in favour of a WBC title clash against compatriot Tenshin Nasukuwa on November 24.

Nathan, who has already informed the IBF of Ngxeke’s availability, said he was relieved at the BSA ruling, though he was always confident of the dismissal of the objection.

“The objection lodged was never a big concern for me and Ngxeke because we knew that we did everything by the book,” he said.

“I signed him within the realms of the Boxing Act and BSA rules, so I was not concerned.

“My legal counsel assured me everything was above board, and I never even informed Ngxeke that there was an objection because in my eyes it was absurd.”

There were concerns that the IBF could bypass Ngxeke if there was a legal impediment around him, as the sanctioning body often interprets such matters as an indication of the boxer’s unavailability.

Part of the objection centred around BSA informing the IBF of the legal challenge around Ngxeke’s defection.

Nathan said now that the stumbling block was cleared, he would continue with negotiations with Reyes’ team about the title fight.

The parties were given 30 days to reach an agreement, failing which the promotional rights will be opened to purse bids.

Reyes was scheduled to challenge then-champion Ryosuke Nishida but agreed to step aside and allowed Nishida to engage in an all-Japanese unification clash against WBC champion Junto Nakatani, who won via a sixth-round stoppage to become dual champion.

Nakatani has since vacated the two belts in pursuit of a lucrative undisputed junior-featherweight title clash against compatriot Naoya Inoue in 2026.

Daily Dispatch