Dingaan Thobela facts for kids

Dingaan Bongani Thobela (born September 24, 1966 – died April 29, 2024) was a famous boxer from South Africa. People called him 'The Rose of Soweto'. He was a world champion in two different boxing weight classes. He won titles like the WBO lightweight title, the WBA lightweight title, and the WBC super-middleweight title. Dingaan Thobela passed away in 2024 when he was 57 years old.

Dingaan Thobela's Boxing Journey

Starting as a Pro Boxer

Dingaan Thobela had a great amateur boxing record. He won 80 fights and only lost 3. He then became a professional boxer in 1986.

In 1990, he won his first big title. This was the WBO lightweight title. He beat Mauricio Aceves to become the champion. Thobela successfully defended this title three times.

Winning More Titles

After giving up his WBO title, Thobela aimed for another championship. He challenged Tony Lopez for the WBA lightweight title in 1993. He lost this fight in a very close decision. But later that year, he fought Lopez again. This time, Thobela won and became the WBA lightweight champion!

It was hard for him to stay at the lightweight limit. He lost his WBA title in his first defense to Orzubek Nazarov. He also lost a rematch to Nazarov in 1994.

Moving Up in Weight

Thobela then decided to move to heavier weight classes. In 2000, he fought Glenn Catley for the WBC super-middleweight title. This was a big step up for him. He won the title by knocking out Catley in the 12th round.

However, he lost this title in his very next fight. He lost to Dave Hilton Jr. in a close decision. After this, Thobela lost his next five fights. He fought other famous boxers like Éric Lucas, Mikkel Kessler, and Lucian Bute.

His Comeback Fight

In 2006, Dingaan Thobela returned to the boxing ring. He was 40 years old and had not fought for almost two years. He challenged Soon Botes for the South African light heavyweight title. Thobela had beaten Botes before in 2000.

Some people were surprised that he was allowed to fight. He was older and had not been active. Thobela fought hard and even knocked Botes down. But he was not in top shape. He could not continue the fight after the ninth round.

His Passing

Dingaan Thobela was found in his apartment in Johannesburg on April 29, 2024. He was 57 years old. He had been sick for some time. His death happened just a few days after South Africa celebrated 30 years since the end of apartheid.

See also

• List of world lightweight boxing champions
• List of world super-middleweight boxing champions