7/30/2019 SA Boxing_s 2012 Winners and Losers-095

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/sa-boxings-2012-winners-and-losers-095 1/1

Graphics24Compiled by Mawande Mvumvu

SA Boxing’s winners an osers

Tommy“Tommy Gun”Oosthuizen – IBO supermiddleweight championTommyGun is yet to be defeated in 21ghts. The 24-year-old excelled withfour ghts in 2012, all of which wereconvincing victories. This camedespite the inactivity that has

ted many of his fellow SAboxersbecause of the SABC TV blackout.The International Boxing Organisa-tion (IBO) super middleweightchampion’s US connections havealso come in handy and his careerlooks well on track.He has made itknown he wants to challenge for the

WBA super middleweight title in aunication bout this year. He ghtsunder the wing of legendary trainerHarold Volbrecht,who trained thelate Corrie Sanders, one of only threeboxers to have defeated heavyweightboxing superstar Wladimir Klitschko

Moruti “Baby Face”Mthalane – IBF yweightchampionMthalane is the only SAboxer whoholds an International BoxingFederation (IBF) belt. The IBFyweight champion canbeconsidered the best local boxergiven the respect the IBFcommands as one of the top globalboxing authorities. Last year, inSeptember, Mthalane defendedthe title for the fourth time. He didso instyleby resisting a 16 000-strongcrowd cheering for his opponent inPanama. Mthalane is an epic

gladiator of this generation.He wasoverlooked in the SA Sports awardsand Sports Minister Fikile Mbalulablamed Boxing SAfor failing tonominate him

Chris “The Heat” vanHeerden – IBOwelterweight championVan Heerden became The Heat in2011 when he defeated KaizerMabuza and earned himself the thenvacant IBOwelterweight title. Hedefended his belt early this yearagainst experienced ArgentineanSebastián Lujan.Prior to winning theIBO welterweight title, he tastedvictory against once-promisingboxers Bongani Mwelase andBoitshepo Mandawe.He is one of therising boxing prospects from SA andhe is due to defend his title against

Matthew Hatton – the great RickyHatton’s brother – in March. At 25,van Heerden still has a lot to prove,but age is still on his side

Nkosinathi“Mabhere” JoyiMabhere, which means “The Bears”,last year lost his 21-ght undefeatedrecord and his IBF minimumweighttitle when Mario Rodriguez knockedhim out in Mexico. The pride of Mdantsane is an exciting ghter butlosing the IBF belt was a major blow.He tried to redeemhimself bywinning the interim World BoxingAssociationminimumweight title

against ArgentineanWalter Rojas inEast London on December 8.Thevictory was,however, not enough tosee him regain the respect hecommanded with the IBF title.The Ring Magazine once ranked the29-year-old as the bestminimumweight boxerin the world

Bongani “Cyclones”MwelaseOnce regarded as the future risingking of the welterweight division,Mwelase has allbut disappearedfrom boxing circles. He last fought in2011, losing to Chris van Heerden inan IBO welterweight title eliminatorbout.The 31-year-old’s drop in formstarted in 2010 when he lost toLovemore N’dou – also his rstcareer loss. Out of 14 wins, Mwelase

won 12 by knockout, but the formerSA welterweight champion may aswell consider calling it quits, if hehasn’t already

Zolani “Last Born”TeteTete lost an IBF super yweight

eliminationbout in September in hiscollision with undefeated RobertoDomingo Sosa from Argentina. He is atalented 23-year-old pugilist whosmoked every opponent he faceduntil Mthalane defeated him late in2010.He remains loved in Mdantsane,Eastern Cape, and not all is lost forTete.With youth on his side, he hastime to regain glory. Fighting underthe guidance of decorated trainerNick Durandt also bolsters theprospects of this IBF-belt hopeful

Losers

Winners