BRUCE MCTAVISH NAMED REFEREE OF DAPUDONG-SITHYATHA FIGHT
By Manny Piñol
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 15 Jul 2014
McTavish.
Johannesburg, South Africa - The withdrawal of IBO World Super Flyweight champion Edrin "The Sting" Dapudong from his first title defense against South African Lwandile Sithyatha set on July 18 was averted early today after the promoter agreed to take out the South African referee assigned to the fight at the last minute.
Named referee of the 12-round title fight to be held in the challenger's hometown was New Zealand's Bruce Mctavish, a Philippine resident who was earlier engaged as one of the judges of the fight.
A Ghanaian boxing official, Eddie Pappoe, was brought in to replace Mctavish as one of the judges.
With the recent development, the ring officials for the Dapudong-Sithyatha title fight now are: Mctavish, referee; judges Andile Matika, South Africa, Waleska Roldan, United States; and Eddie Pappoe, Ghana.
The problem broke out last night after the IBO through its president Edward Levine informed me that British referee Michael Alexander could not make it to South Africa in time for the fight because of travel restrictions.
Levine told me by phone that a South African official from Johannesburg would be named referee of the title fight which effectively would have two South Africans, an American and a New Zealander residing in the Philippines as ring officials.
Upon learning of the development, I immediately contacted Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy, who is now in the United States of the development and recommended that if the promoter insists on having a South African as the referee, Dapudong will be withdrawn from the title fight and the team will go home to the Philippines immediately.
Pastor Quiboloy, whose involvement in boxing is mainly to protect Filipino boxers from being exploited and victimized in uneven fighting conditions, agreed with my recommendation.
South African promoter Ayanda Matiti made calls to me before midnight (Johannesburg time) pleading for Dapudong not to withdraw from the fight and promising that he will work for the replacement of the South African referee.
IBO President Levine later resolved the problem by sending me a proposal that Mctavish will wbe promoted from judge to referee and that another foreign official will replace him as judge.
It was a proposal which I found acceptable.
Dapudong and the team which includes trainers Nonoy Neri and Rex Penalosa will fly down to East London at 6 a.m. today for the scheduled pre-medical and press conference at 12 noon today.
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