Igqala lomthelekisi uRodney Berman uyigxininisile eyokokuba uDingaan Thobela owayeselula wayeyona mbethi-manqindi ephume izandla awakhe wayibona eMzantsi Afrika.
UBerman ukuthethe oku njengokuba ihlabathi lamanqindi lisothuswe kukubhubha kukaThobela, owayeyinjinga yoMzantsi Afrika kudidi lwejunior-lightweight, osweleke eneminyaka engamashumi amahlanu anesixhenxe.
Umzimba wakhe obesele ubanda ufunyenwe kwiflat yakhe eLanglaagte, eRhawutini, ngoMvulo, kwaye bekubonakala ukuba sele kuntsuku endulukile.
“Lusuku olulusizi kakhulu. Isothuse sonke lento. Ngamaxesha athile kubanzima ukukholelwa ukuba ubani uswelekile. Kubi kakhulu,” utshilo uBerman.
“Ngaphandle kwamathandabuzo, uDingaan Thobela owayeselula wayenguPhopho wembethi-manqindi endakhe ndayibona eMzantsi Afrika. Bendimkhumbuza ngalonto qho xa ndidibana naye. WayenguPhopho wokwenene.”
UThobela wabetha uMauricio Aceves waseMexico eBrownsville, eMelika, waze waphumelela intshinga yeWorld Boxing Organisation (WBO) kudidi lwelightweight ngoSeptemba 1990.
Phantse nje kwiminyaka emithathu, waphumelela intshinga yeWorld Boxing Association (WBA) kudidi lwelightweight emveni kokubetha uTony Lopez waseMelika eSun City, eRustenburg, ngoJuni 1993.
UThobela waphumelela intshinga yeWorld Boxing Council (WBC) kudidi lwesuper-middleweight emva kokubetha uGlenn Catley wase-United Kingdom eCarnival City, eBrakpan ngoSeptemba 2000.
“Ngethuba esilwa noGlenn Catley kwiminyaka engamashumi amabini anesine eyagqithayo, yaba ngomnye wemilo ethabathisekayo endakhe ndayenza. Wayebethwa uDingaan kulomlo lowo. Kwakusele nje into engathi yimizuzwana engamashumi amane anesihlanu ngaphambi kokuphela komlo njengokuba uDingaan wangqengqisa uCatley,” ukhumbule watsho uBerman.
“Ngethuba uLerena (Kevin) esilwela intshinga yethutyana kwiWBC, wayekhona uDingaan ehleli etafileni. Ngobusuku bomlo, uDingaan wabizelwa eqongeni kuba wayeyintshatsheli yeWBC. Ebenobuntu kakhulu, ethobekile,” utshilo uBerman. – Monwabisi Jimlongo
