Ummi waseMelika uTony ‘The Tiger’ Lopez uchaze umfi owayeyinjinga yehlabathi uDingaan ‘The Rose of Soweto’ Thobela njengendoda yamadoda.
ULopez, oneminyaka engamashumi amathandathu ananye, ohlala eSacramento, eCalifornia, kwelaseMelika, walwa kabini noThobela, besilwela intshinga yeWorld Boxing Association (WBA) kudidi lwelightweight.
ULopez, owayeyintshatsheli ye-International Boxing Federation (IBF) kudidi lwejunior-lightweight neWBA kwilightweight, wabetha uThobela kumlo wabo wokuqala eSacramento ngoFebruary 1993.
UThobela wabuyisa izitya ebetha uLopez eSun City, eRustenburg, kwiinyanga ezine ezilandelayo.
“UThobela wenza uMzantsi Afrika wanebhongo neqhayiya. Wayeyindoda ndo ngaphandle eqongeni. Wayelinene. Kodwa njengembethi-manqindi, yayingumsebenzi. Yayingumsebenzi esasiwenza. Kwakumnandi ukubaseMzantsi Afrika. Ndavuya kakhulu ukulwela eMzantsi Afrika,” uLopez utshilo kudlowandlebe neRadio 2000 kwinkqubo ethi Game On ngoLwesithathu ngokuhlwa.
Umzimba kaThobela, obusele ubanda, ubhaqwe kwiflat yakhe eLanglaagte, eRhawutini, ngoMvulo. UThobela, owazalelwa eChiawelo, eSoweto, ebeneminyaka engamashumi amahlanu anesixhenxe.
