Deon Potgieter
boxing
Dave Hilton and a host of other boxers, including South Africa’s Dingaan Thobela, will have to wait until March 16 to find out where they stand with regard to the World Boxing Council (WBC) super- middleweight world title. Hilton, who controversially won the title from Thobela on December 15, stands accused on nine charges of sexual misconduct against two under-age sisters over a period of three years. The trial ended on Wednesday and Judge Rolande Matt said she will give her verdict on March 16. Although Thobela lodged a complaint immediately after losing the title on a controversial split decision because Hilton never took a urine test before or after the fight the WBC said it will await the verdict of this trial before making a decision. Hilton’s criminal trial attracted a lot of public and media attention in Canada and dragged on to close to a month as opposed to the expected four days. A key element in the trial was testing the credibility of both Hilton and the two girls. The judge will have to decide between the Crown’s argument that Hilton’s accusers could never have made up such a consistent and complex testimony and the defence lawyers’ claim that the case should be dismissed as “fantasy” and a “frame up”. The girls testified that the abuse, which allegedly took place between 1995 and 1998 when the younger girl was 12 years old, began with kissing and extended to oral sex, masturbation and eventual intercourse. During the trial Hilton portrayed himself as a hard-drinking womaniser, but also as someone who would never abuse children. “We were brought up with a lot of respect for women and children,” Hilton snapped during cross examination.
One of Hilton’s arguments in his defence was that he has a testicular condition that requires him to wear a rubber band around his penis and scrotum when he has sex. A current lover testified that Hilton always wears the rubber band during sex, while two former lovers said he wore it occasionally. The two sisters testified that they never recalled seeing such a contraption during the alleged abuse. Hilton’s defence lawyer, Paul Skolnik, said: “The accused doesn’t have to prove a frame-up. He just has to raise a reasonable doubt about the evidence.”
Following the closing statements on Tuesday, Hilton for the first time was overcome by emotion and left the courtroom in tears.
Hilton said he had displayed friendship towards the girls, but that didn’t mean anything illicit happened. On the home front, South African boxing has received a boost with the announcement that Lennox Lewis will be defending his universal heavyweight world title at Carnival City on April 21. Depending on what happens in Canada, Thobela could find himself on the undercard contesting the WBC super-middleweight world title. Another fighter who’s been earmarked for the undercard is Lehlo “Hands of Stone” Ledwaba. While Lewis’s presence is sure to attract some much-needed positive attention to the local boxing scene, the bout will not be staged to favour local fight fans. In order for the American TV networks to screen the bout at prime time, the fight will have to take place at 4am our time a first in South Africa and ultimate proof that television dictates modern-day sport. Ringside spectators have been seconded to being atmospheric props but then again, somebody has to foot the R80-million Lewis is being paid for the bout.