Dream Team Promotions boss Lebo Mahoko is hurt after learning about the death of his friend and former South African super-middleweight champion Andre Thysse.
The 2016 Promoter of the Year award winner passed away early on Thursday morning following COVID-19 complications. He was 52.
“I’m not fine. Andre had coronavirus complications and couldn’t breathe properly because he had double pneumonia,” Mahoko said.
“He sent me a WhatsApp message saying that he was in ICU. I tried to call him, but he didn’t pick up the phone. Yesterday, I called somebody who is his family and he told me that Andre was doing better. When I woke up this morning I received a flood of messages telling me about Andre’s death. This is very sad news.”
Germiston-born Thysse made his professional debut with a win over Kobus Fourie in April 1999 and retired after he defeated Emmanuel Duma in September 2004.
He then ventured into promoting the fistic sport under the banner of Real Steel Promotions.
Thysse is the third boxing personality to succumb to COVID-19 in recent months. Fight judge and referee Neville Hotz, who was also an International Boxing Federation (IBF) representative in Africa, passed away in June.
Hotz’s passing away was followed by that of legendary Lehlohonolo ‘Hands of Stone’ Ledwaba early in July. Ledwaba was a former IBF junior-featherweight, World Boxing Union (WBU) bantamweight and featherweight champion.
