Rose
Deon Potgieter boxing Dingaan “The Rose of Soweto” Thobela, wrote his name in the annals of international boxing history when he stopped Briton Glen Catley for the World Boxing Council (WBC) super-middlweight world title on Friday night at Carnival City. Just three fighters before him have managed to win credible world titles in weight divisions far removed from each other: Sugar Ray Leonard, Thomas Hearns and Roberto Duran. It’s been seven long years since Thobela lost his World Boxing Association (WBA) lightweight world title, but he has never given up on the dream of returning to glory and winning a third world title, having previously also held the World Boxing Organisation lightweight crown. Those fortunate enough to be ringside on September 1 bore witness to the biggest event in South African boxing since Gerrie Coetzee knocked out Michael Dokes to win the WBA heavyweight world title in the 1980s.
Thobela started the bout slowly, eyeing his prey and feeling out the power of the champion’s blows. By the fourth round, Thobela stepped up a gear and landed his blows at will to a chorus of Shosholoza by the crowd. Catley’s face showed concern as Thobela’s jolting punches connected. As early as the second round Catley started head-butting and hitting Thobela with his elbows. This alone illustrated the class difference between the two boxers. The referee, to his discredit, allowed Catley to employ these dirty tactics throughout the bout, although he did start warning the champion halfway through the bout and deducted a point from him in the seventh round for persistent use of the elbows.
Catley admitted after the bout that he was using this tactic in an attempt to keep Thobela away, as his punches were hurting him. Thobela, who was comfortable throughout the bout, bloodied Catley’s nose in the eighth and from then on the champion spent most of his time moving away from the Rose’s prickly punches. In the final round, with the fight still up for grabs, Thobela closed in for the kill. Catley caught Thobela with a big punch to the head, but the South African retaliated with a powerful uppercut which sent Catley reeling across the ring. A second blow sent the champion down. Dazed and fired on by guts alone, Catley rose immediately to his feet and took an eight-count. Another right uppercut glazed Catley’s eyes over and Thobela proceeded to land 12 unanswered punches to the head – the last sending the champion sprawling on his back. He wasn’t going to make the count and the referee could perhaps have saved a few of Catley’s brain cells by stepping in earlier. At least this way, however, there was no doubt about who the winner was. Although he was fit, Thobela could still be in better condition when entering the ring. If he does get into superb physical condition, there is no super-middleweight out there who could stand up to him in the ring. As fight analyst Terry Pettifer said after the bout: “I have never seen a more naturally talented fighter than Dingaan Thobela.”