MILENKOVIC IS WBC PROMOTER OF THE YEAR
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 07 Sep 2008
Well-known international promoter Branco Milenkovic who has done much to put South Africa as a venue for big international fight cards has been named 2007 ?International Promoter of the Year? by the World Boxing Council.
The hardworking head of Branco Sports Productions only recently staged a fight card headlined by three IBF title eliminators at the Carousel Casino north of Pretoria.
Former IBF champion Malcolm Klassen possibly ended the career of former WBC champion Manuel ?Mantecas? Medina in a two round rout, Jeffrey Mathebula scored a twelve round unanimous decision over Julio Zarate in an IBF junior featherweight eliminator and Ronald Barrera of Colombia mauled South Africa?s Zukisani Kwayiba inside two rounds in an IBF minimum weight eliminator.
www.insidesports.ph remembers Milenkovic for his staging of the WBC junior lightweight title eliminator between Mzonke Fana and the Philippines Randy Suico in May 2005. The fight ended in a controversial split decision for Fana.
Respected referee/judge Bruce McTavish had Suico the winner of that fight. Fana went on to face champion Marco Antonio Barrera and was stopped in two rounds.
In 2006 Milenkovic promoted a WBC super flyweight title fight between Mexican warrior Jorge Arce and Hank Makepula.
In one of his more recent attractive fight cards at the Jan Smuts Stadium in East London, Milenkovic staged back-to-back IBF title eliminators.
In the first title eliminator on the card Branco?s boy Moruti Mthalane scored a lopsided twelve round decision over Hussein Hussein and earmed a mandatory title shot at Nonito ?The Filipino? Flash Donaire in a fight scheduled for November 1 at the Honda Center in Anaheim , California.
In the lightweight title eliminator tough Ali Funeka scored a sensational fourth round knockout over highly-touted Zahir Raheem who had beaten Mexican legend Erik ?El Terrible? Morales to win the WBC International title.
Milenkovic continues to pursue his dream of making South Africa one of the centers of international fights.
He has also developed a fondness for Filipino boxers, many of whom have fought on his cards in South Africa . Milenkovic often gets boxers from the stable of Rex ?Wakee? Salud
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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