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The boxing world mourns the loss of South African great Dingaan Thobela, who passed away at the age of 57. While he may be remembered in Scandinavia for a tough defeat against Mikkel Kessler in 2002, Thobela's true legacy lies in his remarkable career at lighter weights.
Known as "The Rose of Soweto," Thobela captured the WBO lightweight title in 1990 by defeating Mauricio Aceves and defended it twice. Despite a setback against Tony Lopez in 1993, Thobela reclaimed victory in their rematch. However, his career took a downturn in 1994 with consecutive losses to Olzubek Nazarov.
In a surprising turn of events in 2000, Thobela, visibly overweight, defeated Glenn Catley to claim the WBC super middleweight title. Despite this achievement, Thobela lost the title in his first defense, leading to a string of seven consecutive losses before retiring in 2006 with a record of 40-14-2.
In Denmark, Thobela is also remembered for an incident in 2003 when he reportedly fled from a fight against Mads Larsen after the weigh-in, purportedly due to anxiety upon seeing Larsen's physical condition.
Thobela's career was marked by highs and lows, but his skill and contributions to the sport will be remembered by boxing fans worldwide.