South Africa is going to be represented inside the ring when world heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua from Britain defends his belts against Bulgarian Kubrat Pulev in Wembley on Saturday.
Award-winning fight judge and referee Deon Dwarte from Cape Town is going to be the third man inside the ring as 31-year-old Joshua will defend his World Boxing Association (WBA), World Boxing Organisation (WBO) and International Boxing Federation (IBF) heavyweight crowns gainst 39-year-old Pulev.
The 51-year-old Dwarte, who left for England last Friday, is set to make history by becoming the second South African to referee a world heavyweight contest.
Revered ring official Stan Christodoulou is the first South African to referee a world heavyweight bout. He was the third man inside the ring during a WBA clash between Mike Weaver and James Tillis in 1981.
”Deon is proof enough that whatever a man’s mind believe in, it can achieve. I remember his first days as an official that he was very quiet and was focused on what he was doing,” Mzoli Tempi, Boxing South Africa (BSA) manager in the Western Cape, said.
”For him to be the second official from South Africa to officiate in a world heavyweight championship and coming from Cape Town is good enough motivation for other officials. The man is down to earth and is
never enticed by glitz and glamour. I can only wish him all the best on Saturday.”
The 2017 Ring Official of the Year award winner, who is a deputy director at the Western Cape Department of Community Safety, is going to referee IBF flyweight champion Moruti ‘Bayface’ Mthalane’s fourth defence of his title against Filipino challenger Jayson ‘Smasher’ Mama in Durban on Sunday, 20 December.
