Family relations will be suspended for a moment during a rare occurence in South African boxing when two cousins are going to fight against each other late next month.
Bryan Thysse will square up against his cousin Gerhard Thysse when he defends his SA light-heavyweight title. The two boxers who were born in Germiston, Ekurhuleni, will face off at a tournament dubbed ‘Sole Survivor’ scheduled for the Emperors Palace in Kempton Park on Saturday, 28 March.
“Preparations for the fight have been very good. We are learning, we are improving our skills to make sure that we are the best on the night of the 28th of March. We are working very hard to make sure that we are fit and that the game plan is ready so that we can get the victory on the 28th of March,” Bryan remarked.
On fighting against his cousin, Bryan said: “Unfortunately, this is boxing. We want to further our boxing careers. There will be no family relations on the night of the fight. We will put those emotions aside when we get into the ring. We have to make sure that we get the victory on the night. It’s purely boxing business. I need to provide for my family. I’ve got nothing against Gerhard. We will be family again after the fight.”
Bryan will be trying to make a first successful defence of the crown he won after he stopped Michael Head in the ninth round at the same Kempton Park venue in October last year.
On the other hand, it’s going to be the first time ever Gerhard fights in a bout which has more than six rounds. Gerhard will go to the fight following a points victory over Jonathan Sam at the Silver Lakes Farm, Pretoria, in November last year.
Meanwhile, Mbulelo Nyanda and Kholisile Nyanda from Kariega in the Eastern Cape were some of the cousins who fought against each other in the past.
Kholisile stopped Mbulelo in the fifth round when they fought for the Eastern Cape minimumweight title at the Indoor Sports Centre, Kariega, in November 1995. It took Mbulelo just over six years before he avenged that loss as he registered a points win against Kholisile at the same Kariega venue in February 2002.
The first known fight, which pitted cousins against each other was when Tony Habib defeated Jimmy Toweel by a ninth round stoppage during a vacant SA lightweight title contest at the Wembley Stadium in Johannesburg on 16 August 1952. – Monwabisi Jimlongo
