By Mark Vester
Rodney Berman, a local boxing promoter in South Africa, is calling the IBO into question. Berman feels that three of his fighters, Thomas Mashaba, Zolani Marali and Takalani Ndlovu, lost controversially when they fought for IBO titles outside of South Africa.
In March, Mashaba lost the IBO featherweight title by split decision to Cristobal Cruz in Connecticut. Much Talked about Aussie prospect Billy Dib won a controversial decision over Marali to win the IBO junior lightweight belt in Australia on July 30. And last weekend Ndlovu lost by way of a split decision to Fernando Beltran Jr, who picked up the vacant IBO featherweight title, in Nashville, TN.
Berman, speaking with South African outlet Sowetan , questioned the credibility of IBO officials working bouts outside of South Africa. He's had a very good relationship with the IBO, but the recent string of defeats may force him to break away from the sanctioning body.
“I admit that it would be ludicrous to question every close decision that goes against our fighters but the Marali and Ndlovu setbacks have again highlighted the seriousness of the situation," Berman said. “If we cannot expect fair play when our boxers journey overseas, how can we continue working with the International Boxing Organization?”
“Ndlovu won the fight on most analysts’ scorecards. They had him a two-point victor. Given the deplorable scoring of both the Dib-Marali and Beltran-Ndlovu contests, we will have to seriously assess our future with the IBO.”
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