BOXING
Deon Potgieter
The most consistently entertaining boxer currently active in South Africa is World Boxing Union (WBU) cruiserweight champion Sebastian “the Soldier” Rothmann. He’s not the greatest pugilist in the business, but he always comes to fight.
Rothmann makes the fourth defence of his title on Saturday in England against veteran Crawford Ashley.
Ashley, who has fought most of his career as a light-heavyweight, a division 7kg lighter than cruiserweight, unsuccessfully challenged Virgil Hill for the World Boxing Association light-heavy title in 1995. To his credit he did manage to go 12 rounds against a man who owns a knockout win over Thomas Hearns.
He’s also been in the ring with the likes of Michael Nunn, Dennis Andries, Graciano Rocchigiani and Johnny Nelson. Although he lost all those fights he acquitted himself well against them (Nelson is the World Boxing Organisation cruiserweight and WBU heavyweight world champion) and the experience he gleaned could stand him in good stead against Rothmann.
Experience is what Rothmann is after in this bout. The fighter, who has a self-deprecating sense of humour, has no delusions about the prestige of the world title he holds. It has, however, provided well for him and his family and he is quite content to continue defending it and in the process pick up the experience he hopes will one day assist him in facing the bigger names in his division.
Rothman has to date had only 15 bouts, winning 12 with two draws and a loss.
He has shown steady improvement in technique, although it can truly be said that he’s gone through the school of hard knocks, often taking more blows than necessary.