Well, yours truly has been following with disgust the uppercuts and jabs being exchanged between two of the country’s most powerful boxing stables Salute Boxing Academy and bitter rivals MTC Nestor Sunshine Fitness and Boxing Academy.
The two parties have been at each other’s throats for quite sometimes now over pity issues, so to speak. And I have to add that what I have seen is an act of pure childishness.
Salute fired the first shot some time back when it surprisingly banned bro Nestor from attending their bouts without providing any reasons for the grounding.
And to add salt to an already bleeding wound, Salute, under the stewardship of the streetwise Kiriat Kamanya snapped up one of Sunshine’s most recognizable products, one Bethuel “Tyson” Ushona.
And even though his departure was barely noticed, Ushona resurfaced as WBF world champion.
Soon afterwards, a trident of Sunshine’s trusted soldiers led by dethroned world champion Paulus “The Rock” Ambdunda, Wilberforce “Black Mamba” Shihepo and Vikapita “Beast Master” Meroro also developed itchy feet – only to resurface at rivals Salute Boxing Academy.
Ambundas exit did not exactly well down the throat of the bro Sunshine, who resolved to pay his protégé back in his own coin.
A usually calculated well-spoken young fellow of decent upbringing, complimented by mild manners and remarkable respect towards his seniors – Ambunda became gatvol of his apparent lack of action, notably against formidable opponents.
The two-time world champion decided to embark on a change of scenery journey as he sought to recharge his batteries.
Bro Sunshine would not budge a dime and comedy turned nasty when he sought refuge with the courts as he tried by all means to nullify Ambunda’s lodging at Salute Boxing Academy.
The brother even went further, as he unsuccessfully tried by all means to stop his rival stable’s boxing bonanza right in its tracks in Otjiwarongo last weekend.
Bro Sunshine claims his protégé still has contractual obligations to fulfill and should have followed the correct channels before abandoning ship. Ambunda shot back vehemently denying that he has ever signed any contract with his mentor.
The sparring session ended up with lawyers with the latest evidence showing that the Rock has indeed entered into a written contractual agreement with his former handler.
As it stands, the matter is still in the hands of the courts and remains to be seen if Ambunda will be granted freedom by Tobias through amicable means or the catfight will continue unimpeded.
At a press conference organised by Salute Boxing Academy yesterday in the capital, the academy’s management again came out guns blazing strongly warning Tobias to refrain from playing dirty politics and trying to sabotage their various programmes and their boxers.
Salute’s management warned that if Tobias wants to play the man and not the ball, they are ready and willing to take the catfight to another level.
But what puzzles the mind however is the silence of the Namibian Professional Boxing and Wrestling Control Board – watching these shenanigans from a distance as if this was not their baby.
Being the presiding body of professional boxing – its incumbent upon the boxing control board to intervene and call the two parties to order since these unsanctioned catfight could potentially bring the sport of professional boxing into disrepute.
There’s an old saying that when two elephant bulls fight, the grass on which the fight takes place suffers the most. In other words, Namibian boxing will become a laughing stock if these shenanigans are left unchecked. I rest my case.