Publications
Partners
Adored by the late former state president Nelson Mandela and as one of South Africa’s only two World Boxing Council (WBC) champions, Dingaan “The Rose of Soweto” Thobela left an indelible mark in the boxing ring.
The country has been plunged into mourning following the news that the retired boxer died on Monday evening after battling an illness.
Thobela, who hails from Chiawelo in Soweto, was 57.
The devastating news came just a month after City Press boxing correspondent Malibongwe Bhido had reached out to Thobela to get an expert opinion on a story that had to do with WBC fights.
READ: Thobela’s message to local boxers
Bhido was previewing the upcoming fights of Kevin “Two Guns” Lerena and Ayanda “Fire Blows” Ndulani ahead of their respective WBC world title elimination bouts.
Thobela was well placed to comment on the story, as he was one of only two South Africans to have lifted the prestigious WBC belt in the super-middleweight class, in 2000.
The other was Thulani “Sugar Boy” Malinga, who won it twice, in 1996 and 1997.
Thobela and other heroes, such as the late Jacob “Baby Jake” Matlala and Vuyani “The Beast” Vungu had a big fan in Mandela, who would personally phone these boxers to pep them up on the eve of their big fights.
In the article published in City Press in March, Thobela did not doubt local boxers.
He said:
His message to Lerena and Ndulani was: "We are equal to the world standard in terms of skills and boxing IQ. Our fighters are often overwhelmed by the big stage when it comes to challenging for big titles such as the WBC. If these youngsters are used to fighting in front of big crowds, they can perform at their best."
Thobela was also a world champion in two different weight classes. He held the WBO belt from 1990 to 1992, as well as the WBA lightweight title in 1993.
