Liebenberg to bid ‘farewell to SA’ by donating fight purse to charity
“There comes a time in life when one feels it’s time to give back and this is my way of saying thank you."
Ryno Liebenberg is ‘signing off’ in South Africa by donating his fight purse to charity. Picture: Getty Images
Veteran South African super-middleweight boxer Ryno Liebenberg has consistently said his long-awaited local grudge fight against unbeaten prospect Rowan Campbell at Emperors Palace on March 13 was never about money.
Now the affable 37-year-old fighter has shown he is prepared to back up that bold statement by donating his entire purse to charity.
“I will donate my entire purse to a child welfare charity of my choice or a person or institution which looks after under-privileged children. I have not decided yet, but it may be multiple beneficiaries,” Liebenberg said in a short video message on the SA Boxing Talk social media platform.
“This will be my last local fight, one everyone has been calling for. I won’t fight in South Africa again, there are no opponents left, so my time has come.
“There comes a time in life when one feels it’s time to give back and this is my way of saying thank you. I have had a great boxing career which has taken me places and I have been blessed. It is time to give back,” he added.
Liebenberg has also pledged to fight in white boxing trunks on the night and place the names of individuals and companies who get behind his cause on his shorts, no matter what the amount donated.
Although the Liebenberg-Campbell bout has the pulling power to feature as a main event, the showdown will feature as the main supporting bout to Kevin Lerena’s tilt at the fledgling WBC bridgerweight silver title against Belgian opponent Bilal Laggoune.
As things stand, if current Covid-19 lockdown regulations persist, the tournament will be a closed-door affair.
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