Dingaan Thobela
Dingaan Bongane Thobela (born 24 September 1966 in Soweto, South Africa), is a former professional boxer, a former two time lightweight world champion & a former super middleweight world champion
Dingaan Thobela | |
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Statistics | |
Real name | Dingaan Bongane Thobela |
Nickname(s) | The Rose of Soweto |
Weight(s) | Lightweight Super Middleweight |
Height | 5 ft 7.5 in (1.71 m) |
Nationality | South African |
Born | Soweto, South Africa, South Africa | 24 September 1966
Stance | Orthodox |
Boxing record | |
Total fights | 56 |
Wins | 40 |
Wins by KO | 26 |
Losses | 14 |
Draws | 2 |
No contests | 0 |
Professional career
After compiling an amateur record of 80–3, Thobela, known as "The Rose of Soweto", turned pro in 1986 and won the WBO Lightweight Title in 1990 after beating Mauricio Aceves. After defending the belt three times, he relinquished the title and then challenged WBA Lightweight Title holder Tony Lopez in 1993, but lost a hotly disputed decision. Later that year he rematched Lopez, and won a decision to win the title. Battling to make the weight, he lost the title in his first defense to Orzubek Nazarov, and lost a rematch to Nazarov in 1994. He stopped WBF junior welterweight champion Kenny Vice in a non-title fight shortly after that.
Thobela later moved up significantly in weight class, and in the twilight of his career in 2000 took on WBC Super Middleweight Title holder Glenn Catley, winning the belt via a 12th-round KO in only his second fight at the higher weight limit.[1] He again lost the title in his first defense to Dave Hilton Jr via controversial split decision. The loss to Hilton was the beginning of the end for Thobela, who lost his next five fights, including a TKO loss to Eric Lucas for the WBC Super Middleweight Title in 2001 as well as later champions Mikkel Kessler and Lucian Bute.
Comeback
Thobela returned to the ring at the age of 40 and after an absence of nearly two years on 27 October 2006 when he challenged Soon Botes for the South African light heavyweight title at the Wembley Indoor Arena in Johannesburg, South Africa. He had defeated Botes back in 2000 to win the South African Super middleweight title. Many were surprised that the bout was sanctioned as Thobela failed to make the weight and his inactivity and age. Although Thobela dropped Botes he was clearly not conditioned to fight and did not come out for the tenth round.
Professional boxing record
56 fights | 40 wins | 14 losses |
By knockout | 26 | 4 |
By decision | 14 | 10 |
Draws | 2 | |
No contests | 0 |
No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
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56 | Loss | 40-14-2 | Soon Botes | RTD | 10 (12), 3:00 | 27 Oct 2006 | Wembley Indoor Arena, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa | |
55 | Loss | 40-13-2 | Lucian Bute | TKO | 4 (8), 1:22 | 3 Dec 2004 | Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada | |
54 | Loss | 40-12-2 | Martin Nielsen | UD | 6 | 13 Dec 2003 | Falconer Centeret, Frederiksberg, Denmark | |
53 | Loss | 40-11-2 | Otis Grant | UD | 8 | 22 Nov 2003 | Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada | |
52 | Loss | 40-10-2 | Mikkel Kessler | UD | 12 | 29 Nov 2002 | Falconer Centeret, Frederiksberg, Denmark | For vacant IBA super middleweight title |
51 | Loss | 40-9-2 | Eric Lucas | TKO | 8 (12), 2:15 | 30 Nov 2001 | Molson Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada | For WBC World super middleweight title |
50 | Loss | 40-8-2 | Dave Hilton, Jr. | SD | 12 | 15 Dec 2000 | Molson Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada | Lost WBC World super middleweight title |
49 | Win | 40-7-2 | Glenn Catley | KO | 12 (12), 2:53 | 1 Sep 2000 | Big Top Arena, Carnival City, Brakpan, Gauteng, South Africa | Won WBC World Super Middleweight title |
48 | Win | 39-7-2 | Soon Botes | MD | 12 | 27 Oct 2006 | Carnival City, Brakpan, Gauteng, South Africa | Won South African Super Middleweight Title |
47 | Loss | 38-7-2 | Cornelius Carr | MD | 12 | 31 Oct 1999 | David Lloyd Tennis Centre, Raynes Park, London, United Kingdom | For WBF Middleweight Title |
46 | Win | 38-6-2 | Adrian Walter Daneff | TKO | 7 (12) | 6 Mar 1999 | Nasrec Indoor Arena, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa | Won Vacant IBO welterweight title |
45 | Draw | 37–6–2 | Carlos Baldomir | SD | 12 | 28 Oct 1998 | Nasrec Indoor Arena, Johannesburg, South Africa | For vacant WBC International welterweight title |
44 | Win | 37–6–1 | Gary Murray | TKO | 4 (10) | 8 Oct 1997 | Carousel Casino, Hammanskraal, Gauteng, South Africa | |
43 | Loss | 36–6–1 | Willy Wise | SD | 10 | 22 Mar 1997 | Wembley Indoor Arena, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa | |
42 | Loss | 36–5–1 | Geoff McCreesh | KO | 2 (8), 2:59 | 5 Nov 1996 | Carousel Casino, Hammanskraal, Gauteng, South Africa | |
41 | Win | 36–4–1 | Wayne Boudreaux | KO | 6 (10) | 25 Jun 1996 | Morula Sun Casino, Mabopane, North-West, South Africa | |
40 | Win | 35–4–1 | Booker Kidd | TKO | 3 (10) | 25 Jun 1996 | Fernwood Resort, Bushkill, Pennsylvania, USA | |
39 | Win | 34–4–1 | Mark McCreath | TKO | 9 (10) | 25 Nov 1995 | Basil Kenyon Stadium, East London, Eastern Cape, South Africa | |
38 | Win | 33–4–1 | Jaime Balboa | KO | 8 (10) | 26 Sep 1995 | Carousel Casino, Hammanskraal, Gauteng, South Africa | |
37 | Win | 32–4–1 | Santiago Alfonso Ahumada | TKO | 2 (10), 1:34 | 19 Aug 1995 | Superbowl, Sun City, North-West, South Africa | |
36 | Win | 31–4–1 | Kenny Vice | TKO | 2 (10) | 6 May 1995 | Village Green, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa | |
35 | Win | 30–4–1 | Andreas Panayi | TKO | 2 (10) | 11 Feb 1995 | Carousel Casino, Hammanskraal, Gauteng, South Africa | |
34 | Loss | 29–4–1 | Karl Taylor | PTS | 8 | 29 Nov 1994 | Cannock, Staffordshire, United Kingdom | |
33 | Loss | 29–3–1 | Orzubek Nazarov | UD | 12 | 19 Mar 1994 | Carousel Casino, Hammanskraal, Gauteng, South Africa | For WBA World Lightweight title |
32 | Loss | 29–2–1 | Orzubek Nazarov | UD | 12 | 30 Oct 1993 | Nasrec Indoor Arena, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa | Lost WBA World Lightweight title |
31 | Win | 29–1–1 | Tony Lopez | UD | 12 | 26 Jun 1993 | Superbowl, Sun City, North-West, South Africa | Won WBA World Lightweight title |
30 | Loss | 28–1–1 | Tony Lopez | UD | 12 | 12 Feb 1993 | Arco Arena, Sacramento, California, USA | For WBA lightweight title |
29 | win | 28–0–1 | Tony Foster | PTS | 8 | 31 Oct 1992 | Earls Court Exhibition Hall, Kensington, London, United Kingdom | |
28 | win | 27–0–1 | Peter Till | TKO | 9 (10) | 15 Aug 1992 | Indoor Centre, Springs, Gauteng, South Africa | |
27 | Win | 26–0–1 | Antonio Rivera | UD | 12 | 14 Sep 1991 | Standard Bank Arena, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa | Retained WBO World Lightweight title |
26 | win | 25–0–1 | Amancio Castro | UD | 10 | 13 Jul 1991 | Standard Bank Arena Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa | |
25 | Win | 24–0–1 | Mario Martínez | UD | 12 | 2 Mar 1991 | Exhibit Hall, San Jose, California, USA | Retained WBO World Lightweight title |
24 | Win | 23–0–1 | Mauricio Aceves | SD | 12 | 22 Sep 1990 | Intl. Convention Center, Brownsville, Texas, USA | Won WBOWorld Lightweight title |
23 | win | 22–0–1 | Pascual Aranda | TKO | 4 (10) | 23 Jul 1990 | Dallas, Texas, USA | |
22 | win | 21–0–1 | Mauricio Aceves | RTD | 7 (10), 3:00 | 27 Apr 1990 | Point Cadet Plaza, Biloxi, Mississippi, USA |
Notes
- "Catley loses world crown". BBC Sports. 2 September 2000. Archived from the original on 23 June 2003.
Further reading
- Potgieter, Deon (2009) Rose of Soweto: The Dingaan Thobela Story Penguin, Johannesburg, South Africa, ISBN 978-0-14-302615-0
External links
Sporting positions | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Minor world boxing titles | ||||
Vacant Title last held by José Antonio Rivera |
IBO welterweight champion 6 March 1999 – 1999 Vacated |
Vacant Title next held by Peter Malinga | ||
Major world boxing titles | ||||
Preceded by Mauricio Aceves |
WBO lightweight champion 22 September 1990 – 1991 Vacated |
Vacant Title next held by Giovanni Parisi | ||
Preceded by Tony Lopez |
WBA lightweight champion 26 June 1993 – 30 October 1993 |
Succeeded by Orzubek Nazarov | ||
Preceded by Glenn Catley |
WBC super-middleweight champion 1 September 2000 – 15 December 2000 |
Succeeded by Dave Hilton, Jr. |