Nghixulifwa expects Simon/Kiss Jr fight to be sanctioned

WINDHOEK-HECTOR MAWONGA The Namibia Boxing and Wrestling Control Board (NBWCB) president, Kelly Nghixulifwa, says there is no reason why the organisation will not sanction Harry Simon's latest comeback bid on June 29. The former WBO World champion is slated to fight Zalton Kiss Jr and some have questioned the legitimacy of allowing the Hungarian to fight here in Namibia, given that the boxer lost his last fight by a technical knockout (TKO) at the beginning of May. Allowing Kiss Jr to fight, the critics charged, would be in contravention of a boxing rule that states that a boxer needs 90 days to rest if he loses a fight by a stoppage. Nghixulifwa, though, explained that the rule is actually applied differently depending on whether the stoppage was by way of a TKO or a knockout (KO). According to the rules, when a boxer loses by TKO, meaning that the referee stops the fight to prevent injury, the boxer can fight after resting 30 days. It is when a boxer loses by KO, which is when a fighter is knocked unconscious, that he may only fight after 90 days, he said. As such Nghixulifwa said there is no reason why the Simon versus Kiss Jr bout will not go ahead. We are just waiting for the doctor's letter [regarding Kiss Jr's health]... but based on what I've seen so far, there is no reason why the fight will not be approved, he said.