Otniel Hembapu
Windhoek – In an ugly twist of events at the country’s leading boxing promotion, the MTC Nestor Sunshine Boxing and Fitness Academy, it has emerged that Namibia’s former triple world champion Julius ‘Blue Machine’ Indongo has parted ways with promoter Nestor ‘Sunshine’ Tobias, New Era Sport has learnt.
Although details remained sketchy at the time of going to print, New Era Sport established through reliable sources that Indongo severed all ties with Tobias and his academy following an ugly spat between the two over the purse money allegedly owed to Indongo.
It is understood that Tobias owes Indongo in excess of N1.1 million in purse money from the Ricky Burns fight, which saw Indongo capture the WBA super lightweight world title from the Scotsman earlier this year.
According to sources, Indongo was initially supposed to pocket a total of N2.4 million from the fight, but instead Tobias only gave him N$1.3 million, from which he (Tobias) also deducted his 25% promotional fees.
The remaining or unaccounted N$1.1 million is believed to have allegedly been transferred to Tobias’ personal bank account. It is also alleged that Tobias manipulated Indongo’s original fight contract sent to the Namibian promoter by UK’s Matchroom Promotions, which represented Burns.
In the fight’s original contract sent to Tobias, UK’s Matchroom Promotions apparently indicated how much Indongo and his promotion were to pocket, but sources say Tobias signed off the original contract without Indongo’s consent and then came up with another contract that indicated Indongo was going to pocket N$1.3 million from the fight.
Indongo was then made to sign the contract, sources claimed.
New Era Sport was late yesterday further informed that Indongo and Tobias were not really that much on talking terms when they left for the USA to confront America’s boxing sensation Terence Crawford for their historic full unification fight in that country, which Indongo lost via a first round knockout, because of the outstanding N$1.1 million owed to the boxer.
As for the American fight against Crawford, it could not be established whether Indongo received his purse money in full, as our sources could not establish that information. In the meantime, this publication has also learnt that Tobias’ longtime trusted trainer and matchmaker at the academy, Imms Moses, has also parted ways with the promoter due to internal infighting at the country’s leading gym.
Contacted for comment late yesterday, Tobias promised to call back the reporter but never did and several further attempts to get hold of him proved futile.