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 The Rose of Soweto is the authorised biography of one of Soweto’s and South Africa’s most famous sporting sons, Dingaan Thobela.

 

Dingaan Thobela, The Rose of Soweto, has been described as the most naturally talented boxer to ever come out of South Africa.

 

Growing up in Tshiawelo under the watchful eye of his grandmother, this is the story of how a skinny boy from Soweto overcame adversity to become one of the greatest boxers to ever lace a pair of gloves.  Starting his career as a raw 17-year-old with a passion for boxing, Dingaan Thobela would go on to become a two-time lightweight world champion by the age of 26. Fame and fortune followed, but the fairy tale that his life had become wasn’t to last. Seven years after winning his first world title – having already relinquished both the WBO and WBA world titles – he found himself on the end of two consecutive defeats to mediocre opponents. Written off in the media and no longer able to make the weight to fight in the lightweight division it looked as if The Rose of Soweto had no other option but to fade away quietly.

 

However, the man himself wasn’t finished. He still nurtured a dream of winning his third world title. And so it was that against all the odds, three years after the end of his career had seemed inescapable, Dingaan Thobela would again step into the ring to contest a world title. That he could win the WBC super middleweight world title, a title five weight divisions above that in which he had won his first two titles, was almost unthinkable – it was a feat previously only achieved by those whose names belong to legend – but by sensationally

knocking out Glenn Catley, the then world champion, The Rose of Soweto would go on to confirm his place alongside the greatest stars that the sport has ever produced.    

Many tales have been told of boxers who have risen up against the odds to achieve success in their lives. None, however, has been as dramatic and had such a profoundly inspirational influence on the people who shared the dream as the true life story of the man they call The Rose of Soweto. This is his story.

 

Dingaan ‘The Rose’ Thobela has won the following professional titles:

*     Transvaal junior lightweight champion

*     SA junior lightweight champion

*    SA super middleweight champion

*    WBO lightweight world champion

*    WBA lightweight world champion

*     WBC super middleweight world champion

THE AUTHOR

An award-winning television writer and producer, as well as a print and electronic media journalist, Deon Potgieter is an all round media producer and content provider with a passion for sport. He wrote and produced the highly acclaimed 18-part television series The Fighters, which covered the history of boxing in South Africa from 1889 – 1990, and received a meritorious award at the SA Boxing Awards 1991 for uplifting the sport in the country. He was the boxing writer for the Mail & Guardian newspaper from 1999-2004.

 

 

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1. THE ROSE OF SOWETO LAUNCH INVITATION

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