Mthatha boxer Sikho Nqothole breathed a sigh of relief when his world title dream was given the green light with the announcement of a date for his IBF world title eliminator date against English star Charlie Edwards.
Nqothole and Edwards will clash for the junior bantamweight top contender spot at York Hall in London, with the Johannesburg-based boxer taking a significant step towards finally getting a world title shot if he wins.
“You have no idea how relieved I am for finally getting the date of this fight,” he said. “I have been panicking and even harassing my manager Colin Nathan about the delay, and I must say he was also concerned.
“Remember, both camps were given until March to reach a deal and set a date for this fight.”
Nqothole, now rated fifth in the division, got the nod when Japanese Kenshiro Teraji turned down the mandate to face Ricardo Malajika.
After Nqothole was approached to fight Malajika in what would have been their 2022 rematch, Malajika indicated he would pursue the WBC route for which he has since been mandated for an eliminator.
The IBF went down its ratings and offered the opportunity to the then ninth-rated Edwards, a former WBC flyweight champion who has since been elevated to sixth.
Since the fight was announced, Nqothole has been champing at the bit about his chances, describing the bout as an opportunity to realise his world title dream.
He again insisted that Edwards’ style of stick-and-move would not bother him if he minimised his movements.
“Nothing has made me change my mind on what I need to do to beat him.
“All I need to do is to cut out his movement and force him to fight, which is not his strength, and I will be home and dry.”
However, there has been concern about officiating in England, which has often gone against visiting boxers, the latest being the heavyweight clash between American Deontay Wilder and Derek Chisora in which the referee was accused of favouritism against Wilder.
Nqothole admitted the issue initially bothered him but said he was confident the IBF would appoint neutral officials, as the bout is supported by the New York-based sanctioning body.
“I no longer need to worry about such things, because I am confident the IBF will handle it,” he said.
The fact that the fight will be streamed around the world on DAZN further allayed fears of Nqothole getting a raw deal.
Nqothole, 31, has been crying out for another opportunity since he was given a hometown decision loss – his third in 24 bouts – against Rene Calixto Bibiano in Mexico, which snapped a seven-fight winning streak.
After the controversial win, Bibiano went on to contest the IBF title, fighting to a draw against compatriot Willibaldo Garcia before losing the rematch.
The winner between Nqothole and Edwards, who is two years his senior, will get a shot at the winner between Garcia and Australian Andrew Maloney, who face off on June 6 in Japan.
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