Boxing promoter dies

Johannesburg - Cape Town-born boxing promoter Cedric Kushner, 66, died in a New York hospital after suffering a heart attack on Thursday.

From about the mid-1980s and 90s Kushner rose to fame as one of the world's leading boxing promoters while he was based in the USA.

He and well-known Johannesburg-based SA boxing promoter Rodney Berman were business partners for many years. Berman heads up the highly successful Golden Gloves Promotions.

"Cedric became an agent for Golden Gloves in the States after we met in Johannesburg," said Berman.

"He had some of the biggest names in boxing under contract and he was well connected.

"He assisted South African boxers when he could and at various stages he played a role in the careers of Gerrie Coetzee and Corrie Sanders. He also had a hand in several world title bouts involving South Africans such as Vuyani Bungu and Welcome Ncita.

"Sadly his health deteriorated in recent years and he spent his last days in a care home."

On Friday, Berman tweeted: "Very sad to hear about the passing of Cedric Kushner, my larger-than-life friend and co-promoter; one of boxing's most charismatic figures."

As a kid growing up in Cape Town, Kushner barely made it to high school but that did not stop him when developing into a world-class entrepreneur.

Initially, he worked in the maritime industry and then dabbled in the music industry when he emigrated to United States.

There he burst onto the boxing scene and went on to manage several world heavyweight champions like Shannon Briggs, Oleg Maskaev, Hasim Rahman and Chris Byrd.

He was recently named to the New York State Boxing Hall of Fame and the inductions were scheduled for April 26.