“You don’t just walk into a gym and start punching.
“Fighters are born with differences in physical ability but you also see a big difference in their skills. That’s the trainer’s influence at work.”
One trainer whose influence will long be remembered in the South African boxing fraternity is Willie Lock.
Lock died at the age of 84 at Chelsea Lane Home for Seniors in Fairleads on October 26.
He was born in Boksburg on February 5, 1933, and together with his brother Peter joined an amateur boxing club in Boksburg.
He lived in Boksburg North before moving to Edenvale in 1967 where he lived for many years before moving to Chelsea Lane four years ago.
He trained and helped produce many boxing champions like Harold Volbrecht, Soon Botes, Gerhard Botes, Giovanni Pretorius, Danny Myburgh and Aaron Kabi.
One of his greatest achievements as a trainer was taking Peter Mathebula to claiming the World Boxing Association (WBA) flyweight title in Los Angeles in December 1980 against Tae Shik Kim of Korea.
Mathebula won on a 15-round split decision in front of a hostile crowd at the Olympic Auditorium to become the first black South African fighter to win a world title.
Lock is also renowned for his efforts in training and guiding South African and WBA heavyweight champion Gerrie Coetzee, considered by many to be the greatest South African heavyweight fighter ever.
The former CBC Boksburg learner himself never boxed as a professional but was an able amateur.
His brother Peter fought with limited success as a professional lightweight.
Peter went on to become a stand out referee, whereas Willie concentrated on training fighters.
Lock and his late wife Audrey only had one child, Megan da Silva.
He is survived by his daughter and granddaughters Miquela (23) and Jenna (19).
His daughter described her father as an “awesome man”.
“He was an extremely private person, but full of nonsense,” she jokingly said.
“He was always good to his family and exceptionally good to his boxers.
“Dad was a man of few words.
She said he would survey situations carefully before getting involved.
“He had a good influence on people battling with drug and alcohol problems, especially boxers.
“Dad made a positive impact in their lives.”
Da Silva added that although boxing kept him from the dinner table most nights, she realises that it was an important part of his life.
One of Lock’s students Harold Volbrecht said that the trainer’s death is a great loss for the boxing fraternity.
“As a trainer he had taught me to always be at the gym before your fighter.
“He always said to his boxers ‘while you are at home on the couch loafing, your opponent is probably in the gym training while you relax’, which is something that has stuck with me.”
A memorial service will be held at Chelsea Lane on November 3 from 10am.
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