Sanctioned by the WBA and featuring Pan African Title Fights live, this partnership will bring boxing closer to the fans over a two-year period.
Johannesburg, 12 June 2018: FOX Sports and Sun International have partnered on a multiyear agreement which will see a series of WBA (World Boxing Association) boxing events take place at Sun International venues throughout South Africa. The events will attract some of Africa’s most talented boxers who will compete for the various WBA Pan African titles.
In February of 2017, FOX Sports, the global leader in premium sports broadcasting, launched the Africa Boxing series staging its first tournament in Nairobi, Kenya, and the momentum has not stopped. With four tournaments in 2017 and several planned for 2018 and beyond, Africa Boxing events will give African boxers the opportunity to showcase their skills to a global audience. Over the course of 2017, 12 WBA Pan-African champions were crowned at FOX Sports Africa boxing events in Kenya and Botswana.
The partnership between Fox Sports and Sun International will commence with an event at Sibaya Casino and Entertainment Kingdom on the 27 of June. Carnival City is set to host the next event on 20 July.
Stan Christodoulou, inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, New York on 13 June 2004, had this to say: “For those of us who have been long-term believers in the enormous potential of African boxing, this corporate partnership between two dynamic companies heralds great times ahead for the sport on the continent and for its boxers. Now, with tournaments being conducted in the opulence of Sun International facilities and broadcast to a worldwide audience by Fox Sports, fans will be entertained by first rate boxing and African fighters themselves can dream of Pan-African titles, intercontinental titles and, indeed, world titles.”
“For too long, many of our best boxers, among them Azumah Nelson and Ayub Kalule, were forced to seek opportunities on distant shores. But, with the global exposure of Fox Sports, the world can come to Africa, opening pathways to the very top for the cream of our fighters. With Fox Sport and Sun International in its corner, the time is right for African boxing to flourish,” concludes Christodoulou.
“Sun International has for many years been associated with the sport of boxing and is proud to be associated with Fox Sport and WBA Africa Boxing,” explains Eugene Boniface, Group Manager: Content at Sun International. “We see this partnership as a great opportunity to promote boxing in the region and to ensure that the sport regains its former status as one of the continents most loved sports, delivering world revered champions.”
Kyle De Klerk, Business & Commercial Director, Fox Sports Africa: “We are extremely excited about our partnership with Sun International resorts in South Africa. For many years, Sun International has been considered the market leader in hotel/resort entertainment. In our minds, there is no place better in South Africa to host our Africa Boxing events. South Africa has a rich history of standout boxers and world champions. Through our Africa Boxing events, we are positive about unearthing future World Champions whilst profiling the boxers and host locations to a global audience.
