In the vibrant world of boxing, where experience often reigns supreme, a unique partnership is emerging that promises to shake things up.
Veteran promoter Rodney Berman, known for his decades of navigating the ring’s highs and lows, is teaming up with Matt Leisching (34), an ambitious newcomer with a fresh perspective and a hunger for success.
This informal collaboration blends Berman’s deep-rooted knowledge of the sport with Leisching’s innovative ideas, a fusion of tradition and modernity.
“Rodney was my childhood hero, so to have him mentoring me is a dream come true,” says Leisching, a former amateur boxer turned trainer who also dabbles in management and promotion.
Leisching is a well-knock figure in Cape Town where his MADfit MMA gym, co-owned with MMA star Don Madge, is a breeding ground for amateurs and professionals alike. Among his best talents are Dean Promnick, Dylan Prosser and Cayleigh Swart, all unbeaten and beginning to shake up the established names.
Despite his youth, Leisching has already moved into promoting boxing with his partner Savva Savvas, having recently staged Fight island at the Cabo Beach Club. It shook up the Western Cape fight scene with a great (and non-traditional) venue, 1200 paying fans and solid match-ups demonstrating Leisching’s can-do attitude.
He’s already planning the next event in April, to be staged in conjunction with Golden Gloves, which will feature Promnick, Prosser and others, all designed to re-establish Cape Town as a big-fight town.
Leisching comes from boxing blueblood, his late grandfather Len having won an Olympic bronze medal at the 1952 Olympics and gold at the 1954 Commonwealth Games. Len also excelled at cricket and football, so the sporting genes are excellent.
Young Matt first laced up gloves at the age of 13, boxing under the watchful eye of Anton Gilmore at Joburg’s Southern Suburbs club, the same club his grandfather had boxed at in the 1950s. He didn’t know if he would become a professional, but he loved the cut and thrust of the sport and the people who inhabited it.
He eventually wound his way to Cape Town and, spotting a gap in the market, opened his own gym. It was a mere 80 square metres, but it was a start. The demand was such that Leisching’s current gym is now over 1000 square metres with a dozen professional fighters among the many members who engage in MMA, strength work, gym and boxing.
Running the gym successfully has freed him up to pursue promoting, something he long harboured. He believes he found the right partner in Savvas, of Insane Boxing Promotions, and together they launched the “Fight island” concept that proved such a hit.
“I’m 34 and still have so much to learn and to do so with Rodney, the best to ever do it, is both humbling and exciting,” said Leisching. “The business side of boxing is a whole different ball game, so I’ll be learning as I go.”
Having cut his teeth hosting amateur and white collar shows, he already has a fair idea of the demands required, but the experience at Cabo Beach Club reaffirmed his belief in creating something special for the Cape Town fight scene.
He’s happy to have begun modestly, particularly as the gate was the biggest in the city in two decades. His end goal is to stage a world championship event, but he’s prepared to pay his dues first.
“I want to make my guys the stars,” he says of the likes of Promnick and Prosser.
Fortunately, Berman already likes what he sees.
“Matt has impressed me very much with his work ethic and ideas,” said the Golden Gloves CEO. “His ambition is tempered with modesty, no bad thing in boxing. Working with him bringing through good, aspiring talent is a perfect fit.”
