The Rose of Soweto is determined to win in Montreal so he can have another bout with Glenn Catley Deon Potgieter
Dingaan “the Rose of Soweto” Thobela is in high spirits going into the first defence of his World Boxing Council super-middleweight world title in Canada on Friday night.
“I have worked hard to get back into the world titles and I’m not going to get careless now,” said the three-time world champion.
At a news conference after their arrival in Canada, Thobela’s trainer Elias Shabalala said this bout would not go the distance. Davey Hilton, the Canadian challenger, responded with a smile: “Good.”
Hilton is a noted puncher, having scored 26 knockouts in 38 wins with two losses and two draws. Like Glen “the cry-baby” Catley, who Thobela dethroned to win the title, Hilton has also fought most of his bouts at middleweight.
This bodes well for Thobela, who himself is stepping into the ring as a super-middleweight for only the third time in his career. Both fighters made the weight limit comfortably, with the Rose tipping the scale 1kg heavier than his challenger.
“This is an extremely important fight for me,” said Thobela. “I have to win this so that I can get back into the ring with Catley, to teach him a lesson.”
The winner of the Thobela-Hilton bout has to defend against Catley within 90 days, as per a ruling by the World Boxing Council (WBC), after Catley complained that Thobela had something under his bandages when they fought earlier this year.
“He stole my pride with those allegations,” said Thobela. “I’m not thinking about that fight now first it’s Hilton, but then Catley will pay.”
Hilton is said to be a fighter with a big heart and a devastating left hook. At 36 he must be at the tail end of his career, however, and has just come off a points loss to Stephane Ouellet, a fighter he’d previously knocked out.
It would be careless, however, for Thobela (34) to underestimate his challenger. Hilton must know this is probably his last shot at a respectable world title and will therefore throw everything he has to upset the champion. He also has the home-crowd advantage.
“That is something I’ll miss,” says Thobela. “It really helps me when I hear my fans screaming for me and encouraging me to fight harder but in my heart I know the fans back home are rooting for me and I don’t want to disappoint them.”
The champion has been well received by the Canadian fight fans and this will fuel the fire of his desire. Thobela loves being a world champion it’s not about the money, it’s not about the fight, it’s the pride of being the best. It’s something he thrives on and it’s something that sets him apart from the rest.
Few fighters have the charm or charisma of the Rose of Soweto. December 16 used to be “Dingaan’s Day” but come Friday night, the 15th might carry that name.
Philip Ndou makes his debut as a junior-lightweight on Thobela’s undercard. He faces Mexico’s Jose de Jesus Zatarin for the WBC inter-continental title. Zatarin, like Ndou, is known as a big puncher and has scored 13 knockouts in 20 wins with two losses and a draw. Ndou has 23 wins with 23 knockouts and one defeat.
A win would immediately put Ndou in the running for the WBC junior-lightweight world title.
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