The feeling among boxing licensees is that the Boxing Act, passed in 2001, is outdated and needs to be modernised to respond to the challenges of today and the demands of global boxing.
Former Boxing SA board member Andile Sdinile is one such stakeholder who feels the Boxing Act as it is [is] stagnating the sport. "There is no growth; it must be amended," said Sdinile. "Some of the fights the public wants can't happen due to some of the regulations."
As an example, BSA's sanctioning committee turned down Rita "Shot Gun" Mrwebi from challenging SA middleweight champion Mapule "Thunder" Ngubane because the challenger lost her last fight.
There is no way we can differ with what is being said; it's 100% correct. SA Boxing Act is outdated.
— Tsholofelo Lejaka
Sanctioning committee chairman Irvin Buhlalu said: “The committee decided to stick with the rule regarding challenging for the SA title ... you must be coming off a win or a draw to be able to challenge."
But the WBC has sanctioned Filipino legend Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao, 46, to challenge for its welterweight title against champion Mario Barrios on July 19.
The WBC has reinstated Pacquiao in the welterweight division's rankings at No 5. He last fought in August 2021.
The WBC rules state that its champions can only defend its titles against qualified challengers, so positioning Pacquiao so highly is a necessary precursor for them to sanction the Barrios fight.
The SA Boxing Act requires boxers aged 35 or older, applying for a licence renewal, "to submit himself or herself, at his or her expense, to the medical examinations and tests that Boxing SA deem appropriate in order to determine whether it is in the best interests of his or her mental or physical well-being to continue boxing".
BSA acting CEO Tsholofelo Lejaka said: "There is no way we can differ with what is being said; it's 100% correct. SA Boxing Act is outdated. The process to amend the Act will be a bit longer. The process towards amending the regulations has already started."
Regarding the renewals of licences by boxers aged 35 or above, Lejaka said: "There must not be a law that prohibits the return of a fighter, but instead the empirical, medical and fitness data must dictate if a person is still agile, healthy [to continue fighting]."
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