A South African boxing promoter looking to honor the new Zulu King with a boxing tournament hosted by Floyd “Money” Mayweather is now facing a lawsuit from the head of The Money Team.
Arnold “Squire” Nododile of J4Joy International Boxing Tournaments was organizing a tournament to honor recently crowned King Misuzulu Sinqobile kaZwelithini, the reigning King of the Zulu Nation. Unfortunately, the planned December 11th event did not happen, and Mayweather’s team claims his fee was never sent over to cement the agreement.
A letter dated December 9th from a Johannesburg, South Africa lawyer was sent to officially cite Mayweather’s camp’s grievance with J4Joy and the potential consequences of a contract breach. The South African media outlet, TimesLive, published the letter’s contents.
"King Misuzulu kaZwelithini went to the same school with Floyd Mayweather, it was very easy to get him" @j4joyboxing chairman telling @victor_molefe on @ukhozi_fm #PrimeTimeSport #LuhambaPhambili pic.twitter.com/9fifiIaaX1
— NKULULEKO SBU DLADLA ✍️📻📺🇿🇦 (@NkuleSbuDladla) November 30, 2022
The “Money” Breach
“You have breached the agreement in a number of respects, most notably by failing to pay our client the agreed fee for his attendance at the event, which was due, owing and payable to our client over a month ago,” wrote David Feinberg, a South Africa based attorney reportedly representing Mayweather’s interests in the venture.
“In addition to this, you have, without our client’s authorization, utilized our client’s name, image, and likeness to promote the event. We attach an image which falsely insinuates that our client will be boxing at the event, in circumstances where this image was not approved in terms of the agreement. Incidentally, our client has been informed that you did not obtain the permission from King Misuzulu to use his name or image either.”
J4Joy held an event in 2021 to celebrate the ascendance of the new King after his father passed away in March 2021 and his mother, the Queen, died two months later. Although he has no bureaucratic power, the Zulu king is revered by the over 11 million people who identify as Zulu and an undoubted draw with South Africa. The addition of Floyd Mayweather was not only intended as an honor but also to legitimize boxing in South Africa further.
J4JOY is staging the SA National Lightweight Title Fight where the current national champion, Tshifiwa Munyai is defending his title for the 3rd and last time against the former IBO All Africa Jnr Lightweight & WBO Jnr Lightweight Champion, Aphiwe Mboyiya. 🚀🚀🚀#J4JOYBoxing pic.twitter.com/584rFSr05P
— j4joyboxing (@j4joyboxing) April 8, 2022
Boxing’s Final Frontier
Now the promotion faces the ire of boxing’s most famous superstar, Mayweather, who has made penetration into Africa a priority as he expands his exhibition fights from Japan to the United Arab Emirates. In May, Mayweather traveled to Nigeria to meet with one of the cabinet members, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, to discuss how he could enrich the boxing landscape of the country.
Any initial inroads to South Africa may have been strained from the actions that are steering toward a negative litigious end result.
“The obvious inference is that you are attempting to evade us and the implications of your unlawful conduct,” Feinberg continued in the letter. “We further demand that you immediately take down the infringing image and any other images of our client from any websites and other platforms.
“You are further required to cease and desist from making any statements, or representing in any manner whatsoever, that our client is in any way affiliated with your or with the event. Our client intends taking further appropriate legal action against you in due course.”
Boxing is challenging and could prove devastating when engaging unfavorably with Floyd Mayweather.
