Professional boxer Donjuan van Heerden has many reasons to celebrate after securing a win over the past weekend.
The professional boxer from Walkerville took on Ntsako Miyambo in Vryheid, KwaZulu-Natal, on February 26.
Scheduled as a six-round bout in the middleweight division, he won the non-title fight with a technical knockout (TKO) in the sixth round. This victory saw Van Heerden increase his fight record to six wins.
“After the fight, my opponent went straight to the ambulance for the medics to make sure he was okay. He took a hard right hook to the temple of his head, but thank God he was okay and that we both were kept safe under the blood of Jesus,” he explained.
He said he is now ranked number two in the South African rankings and is in line for the South African title.
“While my manager Colleen McAusland is doing a phenomenal job behind the scenes, I work hard in the gym. She knows what is best for my career. I’ve been dropped in round one, but listen, it is not about how hard you hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward,” Van Heerden said.
According to Van Heerden, the rawest emotion one will ever see is the moment when they get knocked down in life or the ring and come back to be victorious.
“I have shown that I have what it takes to get up from a knockdown and still come out victorious in the end by making my opponent go down three times in round six with the referee stopping the fight. All the glory and honour is owed to God,” he said.
He also thanked his sponsors for their continued support in his journey. Van Heerden’s next fight is in April.
His manager, McAusland, said: “He wasn’t in peak shape for this fight because he was ill a few days before the fight, but we got the victory, and I’m pleased we have another win in the bag. I’m very proud of him. He showed heart and ended well after a slow first three rounds.”
She said McAusland Boxing Management has moved to its new gym in Kibler Park, making it easier for Van Heerden to get to training.
