The fourth instalment between South African bantamweight boxing champion Sharadene “Shinzo” Fortuin and Melissa “Honey Bee” Miller, which was planned for August, will now take place before the end of the year because Miller has already signed for another fight with promoter Elias Tshabalala of Fantastic 2.
It is reported that Tshabalala’s tournament will take place at Emerald Casino on August 12. Miller, from Eldorado Park, will put her ABU SADC title on the line against Monica Mkandla over 10 rounds. Mkandla is an SA-based Zimbabwean whose career is managed by Colleen MacAusland in Meyerton.
Boxing SA acting CEO Nsikayezwe Sithole on Sunday confirmed that the regulator had granted permission to Miller to face undefeated Mkandla in four fights in a tournament that will be organised by Tshabalala.
“Yes, that is true; Melissa and Fortuin will now face each other before the end of the year because she requested a go ahead with her fight for the ABU SADC title,” he said.
Miller was supposed to face Fortuin either next month or early September to settle the score once and for all in what will be their fourth meeting.
Miller was declared the winner for the SA bantamweight title by a split points decision. Three days later BSA issued a statement saying that its provincial manager in the Eastern Cape, Phakamile Jacobs, had messed up in tallying the scores. The actual verdict was a draw, which then warrants Fortuin to retain her title by virtue of being the champion.
That action gave boxing a black eye. Sithole then met with the two boxers’ trainers in Durban, where an announcement was made that the two parties had agreed that their charges had to do it all over again.
Miller’s trainer Lucky Ramagole said: “Melissa wants nothing to do with the SA bantamweight title. Actually. Melissa wants to quit the sport and I will have a meeting with her on Monday. Yes, we will defend our ABU SADC in Elias Tshabalala's tournament.
“What really kills her is Boxing SA’s refusal to declare the title vacant; that is what we had requested to Boxing SA ahead of the rematch following the controversy in East London. But our request was not granted, instead BSA says Fortuin is still the champion, and it became clearer to Melissa that there is nothing more she can do to defeat Fortuin. The best for her is to leave her alone with her SA bantamweight title.”
They fought in Durban in 2021 and Fortuin was declared the winner. Her victory was not welcomed by the camp of Miller, which to this day still insists that they were robbed.
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