Deon Potgieter BOXING
Francois Botha has landed possibly the biggest fight to involve a South African boxer. He will be contesting the undisputed heavyweight world title against Lennox Lewis in London on July 15.
The late trainer Alan Toweel once said: “The heavyweight boxing champion of the world is the number one sportsman in the world. When you’re heavyweight champion of the world, everybody knows your name.”
The odds are stacked heavily against Botha becoming the most famous man in sport, but then again, when the chips are down anything can happen. The “White Buffalo”, as Botha is known, will be facing a ruthless puncher in Lewis, as was shown in the Briton’s demolition of Michael Grant last Saturday.
In addition to superior punching power, Lewis has a significant height and reach advantage. Add to that the experience of 12 world title fights as opposed to Botha’s two. Botha won the International Boxing Federation (IBF) world title by out-pointing Axel Schultz in 1995, but was stripped of the crown after testing positive for steroids. He again challenged for the same title a year later, but was stopped by Michael Moorer in the 12th round of a close contest.
The only edge Botha appears to carry into the ring is his heart. Lewis’s courage has been questioned throughout his career, while Botha proved his by standing up to “the baddest man on the planet”, Mike Tyson, last January. Botha was stopped in the fifth round of a fight he was leading on all the scorecards. Last year Botha again proved his courage in a bout with former title contender, Shannon Briggs. Although Briggs dropped Botha midway through the bout, Botha got to his feet and took control of the fight, scoring a “unanimous” draw. One judge favoured Botha and two called it even.
Although Botha knocked out Steve Pannell in one round in his last outing, raising his tally to 25 knockouts in 41 wins with 2 losses and a draw, he is not known as a puncher, a reason many believe the “White Buffalo” was selected to face Lewis. Commenting on his upcoming bout with Botha, Lewis said: “He will be knocked out. It’s as simple as that.”
Another fighter who would at least have a 50-50 chance of beating Lewis is World Boxing Union (WBU) heavyweight champion Corrie Sanders. Sanders makes the fourth defence of his title in the main event of an HBO heavyweight bill on May 20 in Atlantic City. His opponent is the very credible Hassim “The Rock” Rahman.
Rahman has beaten the likes of Trevor Berbick, Obed Sullivan and Jesse Ferguson. In 1998 he gave David Tua (who will face Lewis in November) a beating for 10 rounds, before being stopped by a stray punch. This victory earned Tua the number one ranking in the IBF. If Sanders continues the impressive form he’s been showing in the past three years, it’s a very real possibility that he could secure a bout with Lewis early next year.
Sanders was on the shortlist announced in January to face Lewis, along with Botha and Tua. After Sanders’s sensational 63-second demolition of former IBF cruiserweight world champion Al “Ice” Cole in February, he was scratched from the list, however, and replaced by Vladimir Klitschko.
Klitschko was knocked out in 1998 by Ross Purity, the man who Sanders beat to win the WBU heavyweight world title a year earlier. “I’m hoping that if I put on an impressive showing against Rahman, the powers that be will put pressure on Lewis to defend against me,” says Sanders.
The modest man from Pretoria is undoubtedly the fastest puncher in the division and hits with tremendous power. Seventeen of his 26 knockouts have come in the first round. He has 36 wins with 1 loss. Sanders also holds the record for the fastest knockout in a heavyweight world title fight- the 28-second stoppage of Jorge Valdez last year.
“I don’t begrudge Botha his opportunity to fight Lewis,” says Sanders. “He’s done well for himself, but I think there are other fighters, not only me, who are perhaps more deserving of the opportunity.”
ENDS