Denied an opportunity to fight for a World Boxing Council (WBC) title because of South Africa’s apartheid policies and laws, Brian Mitchell finally had a WBC belt strapped around his waist on Monday.
While addressing the WBC’s 62nd convention in the German city of Hamburg, the Mexico-based organisation’s president Mauricio Sulaimán presented the former world champion with a WBC belt.
“It’s an honour for me to get a WBC belt. I’m very happy. I’m 63 years now and I’m here at the biggest boxing convention,” Mitchell said from Germany.
“The WBC president Mauricio Sulaimán was delivering a speech. He started mentioning Nelson Mandela and how a South African boxer couldn’t fight for a WBC title because of apartheid policies. He caught me by surprise when he called my name and asked me to come forward to receive a WBC belt. I want to thank Mr Sulaimán and Rodney Berman for this. My cabinet is full now. I have two WBA belts, IBF, Ring Magazine, Old Buck belt and now this WBC belt.”
The 63-year-old Mitchell is a former South African, World Boxing Association (WBA) and International Boxing Federation (IBF) junior-lightweight titlist. He held the WBA title from September 1986 after he stopped Alfredo Layne from Panama at the Sun City Superbowl in Rustenburg until 1991, having made 12 successful defences.
Mitchell went on to hold the IBF belt following a victory over American Tony Lopez at the Arco Arena in Sacramento, United States of America (USA), in September 1991.
He had bruising battles with the late Jacob ‘Dancing Shoes’ Morake, who sadly passed away on 3 November 1985 following injuries he sustained in their fourth fight against each other.
Now working as a Golden Gloves publicist and SuperSport boxing commentator, Mitchell hung his gloves after he amassed 45 victories with 21 stoppages, a single loss and three draws.
His only loss came against the late Morake during a Transvaal junior-lightweight title contest at the KwaThema Civic Centre, Springs, in May 1982. – Monwabisi Jimlongo
