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Chilemba, Oosthuizen war over

Johannesburg - There will be no rematch between IBO super middleweight title-holder Isaac Chilemba and Tommy Oosthuizen, Golden Gloves promoter Rodney Berman announced on Monday.

"... We have decided to let them progress in different directions and maybe in a year or two there will be a valid reason for a rematch," he said.

Oosthuizen was to have fought for the IBO crown four months ago, but was involved in a motor accident. Chilemba came in as a replacement and took the title.

When Oosthuizen and Chilemba met in the ring at Emperors Palace on November 6, the fight ended in a draw.

"Enough is enough," Berman said on Monday.

"Both these fighters have a big fixture in boxing, and initially it seemed a good idea to match them up and see who was the more accomplished of the two.

"But, after their bruising, drawn fight, it seems the rivalry between Chilemba and Oosthuizen has become bigger than their careers in a wider sense and is side-tracking them from moving forward," he said.

Chilemba will defend his title in the United States on March 18.

Oosthuizen will feature in a local promotion at Emperors Palace a week later.

Commenting on the fighters' draw at Emperors Palace, Berman said there was a huge division of opinion on what the outcome should have been.

However, neutrals by and large, tended to give the decision to Chilemba for his greater degree of enterprise and aggression.

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