His burly, white 7-series is the only car parked at the Supabets gym in Melrose, north of Joburg.
The City of Gold is braving one of its coldest winter days and the gym’s regulars have stayed away. In stark contrast to the winter chill, inside the gym a handful of members sweat it out in thick, stuffy air to a soundtrack of thumping iron and pounding punching bags.
In a corner, a hefty figure drenched in sweat pummels a heavy punching bag with unrelenting vigour and determination.
Dingaan Thobela, the former WBO and WBA lightweight and WBC super middle weight world champion (as at July 2011, when this interview was conducted), is training hard for what may well be one of the greatest comebacks world boxing has ever seen.
Now 45 years old, The Rose of Soweto – as he was affectionately known in his heyday – was recently granted a heavyweight division boxing licence by Boxing South Africa (BSA), which expires in March next year (2012), after undergoing tests to verify his fitness.
“Because of my age there was a lot of concern about my fitness so I had blood, fitness and mental tests to see if I’m still fine”, he says.
“After I was found to be in good health I was referred to another doctor for a second opinion because I wasn’t a hundred per cent fit and I passed that too, but I’ll be in great shape for my first comeback fight.”
Bizarrely, BSA’s (then newly appointed) CEO, Moffat Qithi, has said the boxing body will reinvestigate the issuing of Dingaan’s licence. But the boxer is unfazed by the new developments.
“The preparations will go on as planned for the fight,” says Dingaan.
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He may have aged and gained a considerable amount of weight – and a burgeoning belly –but The Rose of Soweto is still recognised by his fans, even young ones.
One boy, accompanied by his dad, comes up to the former world champ, pleading to have a picture taken with him. “Of course!” the legend tells the kid, and even hands over his heavy green WBC championship belt to complete the picture.
Shockwaves rippled through the boxing fraternity when Dingaan made his intentions clear to challenge current South African heavyweight champion, Wiseman Dlomo, who’s thirteen years his junior.
Known as Angisabilutho (“I fear nothing”), the bold champion was involved in a near bare-knuckle brawl with Dingaan, at the KwaMashu Indoor Centre recently.
Dingaan shrugs off the incident with a laugh.
“Personally, I really don’t have anything against the man, I’m simply challenging him because he’s the current champ,” he says.
“I could’ve taken him right there but I’ll save it for the ring.”
But before that clash he’ll have a non-title fight against Basil Ray at Emperors Palace in Joburg on 29 August.
So why the comeback, we ask? “It’s for the love of the sport, I guess,” he concedes.
“I’ve been a trendsetter throughout my career and making a comeback at my age is unusual.”
He’s not kidding. No other SA fighter has won a national junior lightweight title and then jumped six divisions to take the supermiddleweight title during his career.
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He also won the WBO and WBA lightweight belts and, against the odds, near the end of his career, became the first South African to win a WBC belt in his home country the night he knocked out the Brit Glen Catley with only seven seconds remaining in the fight back in 2000.
“That fight was in September and I’ve never lost a fight in September – it’s my birth month, you see” he grins.
“That’s why I want to challenge for the current SA heavyweight title in that month.”
Dingaan became convinced after fellow boxing legends Bernard Hopkins and SA’s own Francois Botha won against younger opponents recently, that he can do it too.
“This (2011) is the year for older boxers.”
© DRUM ARCHIVES / SETJHABA MAPHALLA / 2011
