JOHANNESBURG (AP) — South African boxer Dingaan Thobela, a two-weight world champion known as “The Rose of Soweto,” has died, the ministry of sports said on Tuesday. He was 57.
Thobela won the WBO lightweight title in 1990 and the WBA lightweight title in 1993, when he beat American Tony Lopez in a rematch. He moved up to super-middleweight and beat Britain’s Glenn Catley for the WBC belt with a 12th-round stoppage in 2000, his finest moment.
He finished with a professional record of 40 wins, 14 losses and two draws.
Thobela hailed from the famed Johannesburg township of Soweto and was widely popular in his home country as his rise coincided with South African boxing’s heyday in the 1980s and 1990s.
He was one of several world-class Black fighters to emerge during the last years of apartheid, when boxing was one of the few South African sports to allow Black athletes to compete on the world stage and gain international recognition.
Related articles:
Related suggestion:
Journalists sign manifesto in defense of Spanish PM and wife, criticize rightA ban in Kansas on genderA California bill aiming to ban confidentiality agreements when negotiating legislation failsHere are 14 players to watch next season across the Southeastern ConferenceShocking moment Las Vegas substitute teacher, 27, brawls with student 'who called him the nAlphabet, Snap rise; Intel, Boyd Gaming fall, Friday, 4/26/2024Trading Trump: Truth Social's first month of trading has sent investors on a rideShocking moment Las Vegas substitute teacher, 27, brawls with student 'who called him the nSurging auto insurance rates squeeze drivers, fuel inflationSlavia Prague fined $93,000 for crowd violence at Europa League game
2.4168s , 6574.828125 kb
Copyright © 2024 Powered by South African boxer Dingaan Thobela, 'The Rose of Soweto,' dies aged 57 ,Global Grandstand news portal