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
Statistics
Real nameDingaan Bongane Thobela
Nickname(s)The Rose of Soweto
Weight(s)Lightweight
Super Middleweight
Height5 ft 7.5 in (1.71 m)
Nationality South African
Born (1966-09-24) 24 September 1966
Soweto, South Africa, South Africa
StanceOrthodox
Boxing record
Total fights56
Wins40
Wins by KO26
Losses14
Draws2
No contests0

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.he was later shown to have loaded his padding in his gloves[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
Professional record summary
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
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
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See also

Notes
  1. "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
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.
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