Thobela's amateur career saw him win 80 times and lose just three bouts. The Rose of Soweto, as he is affectionately known by his fans, became the first South African to win a WBO belt when he beat Mauricio Aceves in 1990.
He made two defences of his WBO junior lightweight title, relinquished it in 1991, and fought for the WBA version of the title, which he won in a rematch against Tony Lopez at Sun City in 1993. Their first encounter in Sacramento in the same year had been controversially declared a draw.
Gerrie Coetzee was one of the fastest heavyweight boxers South Africa ever produced. Coetzee first won the national lightweight title as a 13-year-old amateur when he punished 16-year-old Hennie Colyn. In his 192 amateur fights, Coetzee lost only seven, three of these against his sworn enemy, Kallie Knoetze.
Coetzee became national heavyweight champion at 21 when he fought Mike "The Tank" Schutte, who was disqualified in the sixth round for dirty tricks, giving the title to Coetzee. 20 years after Coetzee won the WBA heavyweight title, with a 10th-round knockout of Michael Dokes, South Africa again had a boxer it could call heavyweight champion of the world.
Southpaw Corrie Sanders shocked the boxing world when he knocked out the highly regarded Wladimir Klitschko early in the second round to win the WBO version of the title. At age 37, Sanders' biggest win came late in his career.
South Africa’s latest boxing success was Cassius Baloyi who captured the Vacant IBF Super Featherweight Title in 2005 with a TKO over Manuel Medina.
The third instalment of the series can be read at:
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/67977-history-of-south-african-sport-iii-golf
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