Successful veteran boxing trainer, Norman “Hitachi” Hlabane, says June 26 1993 brings bittersweet memories for him, though that day will stay with him forever.
Hlabane says the day was etched by the loud announcement by ring announcer, Brian Mulder, who said, “and the new WBA lightweight world champion, Dingaan ‘The Rose of Soweto’ Thobela” when he dethroned Tony “Tiger” Lopez by a unanimous points decision at Sun City.
Judges Hector Hernandez Vilchis, Marcus Torres and Fernando Viso scored the second fight between the two, dubbed “Judgement Day”, 118-112, 116-114 and 116-114, respectively.
Lopez had retained his belt by a points decision in Sacramento on February 12 1993. Thobela’s camp protested the decision because they felt he was robbed, and the WBA ordered a rematch, which Hlabane said was organised by Lopez’s promoter Don Chargin at Sun City. “That was a very special moment in my life as a boxing trainer,” said 79-year-old Hlabane yesterday.
“Sadly, I can’t call Dingaan and speak about that day which brought joy, not only to our families but also to the nation.”
Hlabane, who began honing Thobela’s skills at the age of 14, said winning the WBO belt in 1990 in the US was a great achievement for them, especially doing it outside of home. “But winning the WBA belt in front of so many black and white South Africans was very special,” he said.
“I think all the controversies after the first fight brought so much attention to their second fight. We could not sleep; there was just too much excitement in the camp.”
Wild celebrations in Soweto, including screeching of tyres, lasted until the following day.
Thobela used sharp combinations and scored with jabs to win the early exchanges before drawing blood from Lopez’s nose by the fifth round. The fight gained momentum, with Lopez still stalking, but Thobela continued scoring with counters and rocked Lopez with a four-punch combination in the eighth round, drawing a roar from the capacity crowd.
Thobela controlled the ninth. Both fighters were tired in the 10th round but kept on exchanging blows, with blood smearing Lopez’s face and trunks. Another combination by Thobela in the 11th caused the crowd to erupt in a song of praise.
Lopez was the aggressor in the 12th and final round, but Thobela had done enough to be crowned the new king. Thobela passed away on April 29 last year at the age of 57.
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