Why do boxing events end late?
Two bulls in a kraal.Moses Golola and Umar Semata exchanging blows during their fight which Semata won at Freedom City. PHOTO BY ISMAIL KEZAALA
What you need to know:
- Boxing. Events in Kampala are supposed to end by midnight and often police has intervened and stopped music shows which violate this rule. But are boxing and kickboxing events an exception?
Most Ugandan boxing fans, especially first-timers, who watched Manny Pacquiao vs Floyd Mayweather Jr May 2, 2015, regretted staying long hours awake in the night part of Sunday morning, watching the six undercards yet all they wanted was the main act, “The Fight of the Century.” But the main act did not start until around 7am in Kampala, which was about 8pm in Las Vegas.
But oblivious to most boxing and kickboxing promoters in Uganda, is the difference in time zones. Las Vegas, for instance, is a long 10 hours behind Kampala, meaning if the undercards begun showing at around 1am in Kampala, at the MGM Arena it was 3pm.
In Uganda, it is abnormal for a professional boxing or kickboxing event to end before midnight. Most end earliest past 1am and one on December 26, 2018 ended past 6am.
Last week, a television journalist was beaten and robbed by thugs as he was coming from covering the boxing event in which Shafik Kiwanuka knocked out Congolese Tyson Mbikayi at MTN Arena-Lugogo.
Often fans and fighters face such risks as they return home on boda-bodas or in commuter taxis. And as late night shows continue, promoters admit, the fans turn-up and press interest reduce.
The cause
Eddy Gombya, proprietor of Step By Step Promotions, is a popular promoter of boxing and kickboxing. He is the one whose boxing event at Laponye Hotel begun at 9pm on Boxing Day and ended past 6am the following day.
He says it is a mentality problem: “Ugandan fans have it entrenched in their minds that events serious boxing or kickboxing fights begin late night, so they find no sense in coming in early.”
Yet, Gombya adds, in a struggling economy where the organiser waits for even the last spectator’s fee at the gates, promoters must wait for the fans “It’s hard to begin when most of the seats are empty.”
Abbey ‘Arum’ Mugayi, aka ‘Number One Promoter’, is also the technical head of Uganda Professional Boxing Commission (UPBC). He says sometimes it depends on who is supervising the promotion on behalf of the commission.
Salim Uhuru, UPBC president condemns boxing events that end late night. Recently he instructed his ring officials to stop work by midnight and warned that whoever [officials and promoters] defies this rule will be punished. But no one has been punished so far.
Last Friday’s event organised by Great Striker’s Promotions ended at 12:13am. But that was because the main fight lasted hardly a minute. Had it gone the eight rounds, it would have ended around 1am.
Bypassing the law
Events in Kampala are supposed to end by midnight and often police has intervened and stopped music shows which violate this rule. But are boxing and kickboxing events an exception?
ASP Ivan Nduhura, the in-charge operations at Central Police Station, said there’s no exception to the rule but previously police did not have a clear picture of how long the boxing events are. And this plays in the promoters’ hands.
“I almost stopped the Laponye event but I couldn’t because we hadn’t forecast how long the event would last so there wasn’t that agreement between police and the organisers on when the event should end.”
But going forward, Nduhura vowed, “before we sanction another event, the organiser must tell us when the main fight is beginning such that we advise accordingly such that by midnight the event is done.”
Changing the mindset
Gombya admits that there’s need for change:
“And if we stick by our promises, and close before midnight, the fans will definitely have to adjust, and keep time next.”
Authorities speak out
“You see when we are promoting the fights, all we stress is the venue, date and fee. We deliberately ignore the time factor. But we need to be honest and strict on time, stating the start time and end time.” Eddy Gombya, proprietor of Step By Step Promotions
“Unlike music events, it’s hard to determine exactly how long a boxing event will be. Some fights end in early knockouts, others go for 10 or so rounds.” ASP Ivan Nduhura, the in-charge operations at Central Police Station
“As officials it’s our duty to remind the organisers at the event of the time-keeping rule. And whoever abuses it should be punished without favour.” Abbey ‘Arum’ Mugayi, technical head, Uganda Professional Boxing Commission
