On Wednesday promoter Branco Milenkovic wrote a letter to the IBF in which he informed the New Jersey-based world boxing body that he was withdrawing his charge Vusi Malinga from his bout against Russian fighter Dimitry Kirilov.
Malinga and Kirilov were scheduled to collide for the IBF junior bantamweight title eliminator in Los Angeles in America on November 2.
Malinga, the reigning WBC International bantamweight champion, was to drop a division in pursuit of a world title fight against the Russian.
He was replacing another South African fighter, Masibulele ”Hawk” Makepula, who was initially scheduled to face Kirilov in June.
However, Makepula pulled out in favour of the WBC junior bantamweight title eliminator against Mexican Jorge Arce in Texas two weeks ago.
But the plan backfired when Makepula was soundly beaten before being stopped in four rounds by the whirlwind punching Mexican.
Milenkovic refused to disclose why he was pulling out Malinga from the fight.
However, it is suspected that the Serbian-born promoter might be negotiating a lucrative fight within the WBC circles for Malinga.
Malinga has just cracked the top 10 bracket in the latest WBC ratings released this week.
He is currently placed in the eighth spot, three rungs behind another South African fighter Simpiwe Vetyeka.
Milenkovic denied that he was snubbing the IBF by withdrawing Malinga from the fight
”My pulling out of Malinga has nothing to do with the IBF,” he said.
”As a matter of fact, I have a good working relationship with the IBF and its president, Marian Muhammed. Remember that I specially invited Ms Muhammed to attend the IBF junior featherweight title fight between my fighter Gabula Vabaza and Steve Molitor at Nasrec Indoor Arena in September.”
The fight was called off at the eleventh hour when Vabaza failed medical test. — Sapa