South Africa’s lone current major titlist will get a home game.
BoxingScene.com has confirmed that a deal was reached for the Sivenathi Nontshinga-Regie Suganob IBF junior flyweight title fight, thus avoiding a purse bid hearing that was scheduled for Tuesday. The bout will take place on June 16 at the International Convention Centre in East London, South Africa.
The deal was reached in principle shortly after the 30-day-negotiation period had expired, at which point the IBF scheduled an April 11 purse bid hearing. Nontshinga would have been entitled to 65-percent of the winning bid as the defending champion, while Suganob and his team will get the remaining 35-percent as the mandatory challenge.
However, Boxing Scene was made aware at the time that terms were on course to be finalized prior to the session.
An IBF representative confirmed to Boxing Scene on Tuesday that they were informed of a deal in place, at which point the New Jersey-based sanctioning body canceled the session.
The development allows Nontshinga (11-0, 9KOs) to bring home a major title fight for his first defense, befitting the nation’s lone reigning champ. The 24-year-old Eastern Cape native claimed the IBF title via well-earned split decision victory over Tijuana’s Hector Flores (20-0-4 at the time) in their savagely fought vacant title clash last September 3 on the road in Hermosillo, Mexico.
The bout drew major accolades, including nominations as 2022 Fight of the Year. Colin Nathan, Nontshinga’s head trainer, was a BWAA finalist for 2022 Trainer of the Year, the first-ever cornerman from South Africa to land on the ballot.
The win over Flores marked the first career fight outside of South Africa for Nontshinga, who had a brief window of opportunity to enter a voluntary defense while the IBF sought to establish his next mandatory challenger.
It never arrived, though there are not any complaints about this particular matchup.
Suganob (13-0, 4KOs) filled the mandatory void after a technical decision over Mark Vicelles in their February 25 IBF final eliminator between unbeaten Filipino contenders at Calape (Philippines) Cultural Center. The fight was stopped at 1:39 of round eight when a cut over the right eyebrow of Vicelles (17-1-1, 10KOs)—caused by a headbutt two rounds prior—was deemed unfit to continue by the ringside doctor.
Ringside judges Gil Co (80-71), Adam Height (78-73) and Greg Ortega (77-74) all scored the contest in favor of Sugnaob, who picked up his fourth win in just 50 weeks. He will now enter his first major title fight while an unbeaten opponent for the fourth time within his past six starts.
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox