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Sports Reporter
LION Heart Boxing Productions, a United States-based promotion and management company, has expressed concern over the seemingly deliberate delays by boxing authorities in Zimbabwe to resolve an impasse involving a boxing contest which was fought locally and involved their contracted fighter.
They have described their case as “the biggest boxing scandal in Zimbabwe boxing” and have threatened legal action to find recourse.
Soon after the match between Namibian Harry Simon Junior (who is contracted to Lion Heart) and Aliyah Phiri of Otto Boxing in Harare which was adjudged in favour of the latter, Lion Heart through its Chief Finance Officer, Edward Mendy, immediately filed an appeal against the verdict.
Their argument, among a host of others, was that standard requirements, as expected prior to and post-professional boxing events the world over, were not fulfilled, a development the local boxing regulator seemed to comply with in their response to the appeal.
Investigations show the boxer-promoter agreement lacks the signature of a board official, no purse money was submitted to the board and Simon Junior is yet to receive his dues from the fight.
In a letter by Mendy dated July 15, 2023, a day after the fight, the American argued that the agreed-upon opponent was not the one who ended up fighting his boxer. According to a contractual agreement gleaned by this publication, Simon Jnr had been billed to face Tranos Zihove (W3-L3) for a tune-up fight.
“I approved that opponent with both the fighter and his team. The first opponent was then changed to Adonia Abraham and, subsequently, Collen Zidumbu both of whom I reluctantly agreed to.
“At the very last minute, yet another switch was made to Isah Aliyah Phiri. Knowing that I would not agree to that fight, the boxer was approached directly about the fight and insisted on fighting. I consented to the fight provided that it would be for eight rounds and they eventually fought over six.”
Online Reporter