Former boxing champion Dingaan Thobela passes away, aged 57

Former multiple world boxing champion Dingaan Thobela has died.

The popular 57-year-old boxing personality, fondly nicknamed “The Rose of Soweto”, was found dead in his Johannesburg flat on Monday night. He had not been well for some time.

According to Sowetan Live, after several unsuccessful attempts to contact him on his mobile phone, his family, accompanied by police, managed to gain access to his residence and discovered his body.

World champion in two divisions

Trained and groomed by renowned boxing mentor Norman Hlabane, Thobela enjoyed an extensive amateur career and went on in a 54-fight professional career to become a world champion in two different weight divisions.

He captured the World Boxing Organisation (WBO) lightweight title in 1990 when he defeated the Mexican Mauricio Acevez by split decision in the United States, a title he relinquished to challenge the Tony “The Tiger” Lopez in 1993 for the World Boxing Association (WBA) version of the world title in the latter’s own Sacramento backyard.

Regarded by most boxing pundits as a “hometown decision”, Thobela subsequently earned a rematch out of Lopez’s comfort zone and he annexed the title at the Sun City Superbowl in June 1993.

His WBA reign lasted less than a year as he suffered back-to-back defeats to the Russian southpaw Orzubeck Naxarov on home soil.

He added the World Boxing Council (WBC) super-middleweight world championship belt to his collection by annexing the title in September 2000 via a 12th round knockout victory over Glen Catley at Carnival City, Brakpan.

Thobela is survived by his estranged common law wife Sandra and two children, Ntombi and Dingaan Thobela Junior.