South African boxer Dingaan Thobela, 'The Rose of Soweto,' dies aged 57
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — South African boxer Dingaan Thobela, a two-weight world champion known as “The Rose of Soweto,” has died, the ministry of sports said on Tuesday. He was 57.
Thobela won the WBO lightweight title in 1990 and the WBA lightweight title in 1993, when he beat American Tony Lopez in a rematch. He moved up to super-middleweight and beat Britain’s Glenn Catley for the WBC belt with a 12th-round stoppage in 2000, his finest moment.
He finished with a professional record of 40 wins, 14 losses and two draws.
Thobela hailed from the famed Johannesburg township of Soweto and was widely popular in his home country as his rise coincided with South African boxing’s heyday in the 1980s and 1990s.
He was one of several world-class Black fighters to emerge during the last years of apartheid, when boxing was one of the few South African sports to allow Black athletes to compete on the world stage and gain international recognition.
Related articles
ACL injuries are more common in women soccer players than men. We may learn why
An English study into the causes of knee injuries to women soccer players was launched on Tuesday.‘P2024-05-01Mideast Updates: G7 warns of sanctions on Iran for attack on Israel
World leaders called on Iran and Israel to try to avoid escalating tensions following the apparent I2024-05-01Roman Gabriel, former NC State and pro quarterback who was the AP NFL MVP in 1969, dies at 83
Roman Gabriel, the former North Carolina State quarterback who was the 1969 NFL MVP with the Los Ang2024-05-01Milwaukee teenager gets 13 years for shooting inside restaurant that killed 2 other teens
MILWAUKEE (AP) — A Milwaukee teenager has been sentenced to 13 years in prison after pleading guilty2024-05-01In unusual push, funders band together to get out grants around election work 'early'
A small portion of the billions spent around the November election will go to nonprofits working to2024-05-01- AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) — Hoskins Sotutu scored two tries to help the Auckland-based Blues rout t2024-05-01
atest comment