By Mesuli Zifo
Top South Africa boxing promoter Mzi Mnguni is in hot water with Boxing SA (local commission) after he physically confronted referee Allen Matakane during his tournament at Orient Theatre in East London, South Africa on Sunday.
Mnguni charged at Matakane after the referee had controversially stopped the South African junior lightweight title clash between defending champion Godfrey Nzimande and challenger Ayanda Yaphi in the eighth round in favor of the visiting champion.
The “premature” stoppage sparked chaotic scenes as spectators threw bottles and cans into the ring in protest of Matakane’s action.
In the ensuing skirmish Mnguni jumped into the ring and pushed Matakane against the ropes before boxing authorities restrained him.
Matakane was escorted out of the venue by police.
Mnguni who promoted the fight and is also Yaphi’s manager will be summoned into a hearing for his unsporting behavior.
At the time of the stoppage, Yaphi was on the receiving end of Nzimande’s attack even though he was fighting back.
Spectators felt that Yaphi, who was the crowd’s favorite, should have been allowed to fight on especially as he had wobbled Nzimande with hard punches in the previous rounds.
As missiles rained into the ring, one can hit BSA director of operations Loyiso Mtya while trying to restore order.
Mtya confirmed that the rule book would be thrown at Mnguni for confronting the referee.
“He will answer for his actions, no doubt but I cannot preempt the hearing before we have informed him officially,” Mtya said.
Mtya defended Matakane’s actions of stopping the fight arguing that Yaphi could have been seriously hurt by more punches from Nzimande.
“If something bad had happened to Yaphi these people who are protesting the stoppage would be blaming the referee for taking too long to stop the fight,” Mtya argued.
Matakane, one of the fine officials from the country, was roundly blamed for the death of SA fighter Samora Msophi after he allowed the fighter to take too much punishment during his SA junior flyweight title challenge against Mfundo Gwayana in June 2008.
Msophi took a frightful beating from the first round until he collapsed in the fourth round and later died in hospital from injuries he suffered in the fight.
Since that incident Matakane has been quick to stop the fight even when a fighter is taking minimum punishment.
Mnguni is renowned as the trainer-manager who produced SA’s top fighters such as former IBF junior featherweight champions Welcome Ncita and Vuyani Bungu who both fought Kennedy McKinney, IBF bantamweight and featherweight champion Mbulelo Botile who shared the ring with Tim Austin and IBF mini-flyweight champion Zolani Petelo who lost to Ricardo Lopez.
