Veteran boxing writer Ron Jackson has reminisced about the rematch between Dingaan Thobela and Tony Lopez which took place 31 years ago on this day at Sun City Superbowl.
South Africans rejoiced when “The Rose Rose of Soweto” defeated Lopez to win the WBA lightweight title in front of about 4,000 fans on June 26 1993.
Thobela – who passed away in April – dethroned Lopez, known as “Tiger”, via a unanimous points decision.
It was dubbed “Judgement Day”. They met for the second time after Lopez was presented a gift he did not deserve – an unanimous points decision – which enabled him to retain the WBA lightweight belt at home in Sacramento on February 12 1993.
“The atmosphere was vey good,” said Jackson who turns 88 in August. “It was a big one for Dingaan but I was very disappointed about Dingaan because he did not perform in such a way that he deserved to win.
“The fight could have gone to Lopez. It was very close. If the judges had given it to Lopez I would not have argued. No one dominated.”
Jackson said he met Thobela when he was only 19 years old.
“Dingaan and Norman Hlabane [trainer] used to come to my house; I had a flat at the back of my house and I had converted it to a boxing room where I kept every item, magazines and videos there so we would sit and watch boxing video; That is how far back I know Dingaan,” he said.
“Dingaan was very special to me; he had everything, and he could been better than he was had he looked after himself.”
Thobela’s ballooning weight was his worst enemy. Thobela, who had previously held the WBO belt, lost the WBA title in his first defence to Russian Orzubek Nazarov on points after 12 rounds. That fight took place at Nasrec Indoor near Soweto on October 30, 1993.
He moved up to the middleweight class where he failed in his bid for the WBF belt.
Thobela passed away on April 29 at the age of 57.
Jackson remembers how Thobela almost ruined ‘Judgement Day’
‘He didn’t perform and could have lost to Lopez’
Image: Thinus Strydom
Veteran boxing writer Ron Jackson has reminisced about the rematch between Dingaan Thobela and Tony Lopez which took place 31 years ago on this day at Sun City Superbowl.
South Africans rejoiced when “The Rose Rose of Soweto” defeated Lopez to win the WBA lightweight title in front of about 4,000 fans on June 26 1993.
Thobela – who passed away in April – dethroned Lopez, known as “Tiger”, via a unanimous points decision.
It was dubbed “Judgement Day”. They met for the second time after Lopez was presented a gift he did not deserve – an unanimous points decision – which enabled him to retain the WBA lightweight belt at home in Sacramento on February 12 1993.
“The atmosphere was vey good,” said Jackson who turns 88 in August. “It was a big one for Dingaan but I was very disappointed about Dingaan because he did not perform in such a way that he deserved to win.
“The fight could have gone to Lopez. It was very close. If the judges had given it to Lopez I would not have argued. No one dominated.”
Jackson said he met Thobela when he was only 19 years old.
“Dingaan and Norman Hlabane [trainer] used to come to my house; I had a flat at the back of my house and I had converted it to a boxing room where I kept every item, magazines and videos there so we would sit and watch boxing video; That is how far back I know Dingaan,” he said.
“Dingaan was very special to me; he had everything, and he could been better than he was had he looked after himself.”
Thobela’s ballooning weight was his worst enemy. Thobela, who had previously held the WBO belt, lost the WBA title in his first defence to Russian Orzubek Nazarov on points after 12 rounds. That fight took place at Nasrec Indoor near Soweto on October 30, 1993.
He moved up to the middleweight class where he failed in his bid for the WBF belt.
Thobela passed away on April 29 at the age of 57.
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