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Oosthuizen gets thumbs up from boxing legends

GREAT VICTORY: IBO super middleweight champion Thomas 'Tommy Gun' Oosthuizen.Photo: Gallo Images
GREAT VICTORY: IBO super middleweight champion Thomas 'Tommy Gun' Oosthuizen.Photo: Gallo Images

THOMAS Oosthuizen's future as a boxer looks bright if the results of a snap Sowetan survey after his impressive title defence, are anything to go by.

South Africans watched with glee as "Tommy Gun" beat highly rated American Aaron Pryor jnr in the US on Sunday morning. The second successful defence of his IBO super middleweight belt was broadcast by SuperSport.

Some boxing hot shots praised the lanky 22-year-old for his bravery when they had thought he would be overwhelmed by the occasion, since it was his first fight in the US.

The Boxing aficionados Sowetan spoke to yesterday included accomplished trainer Elias "Mr Fantastic" Tshabalala, retired boxers Steven "People's Champion" Castle and Dingaan "The Rose of Soweto" Thobela.

Said Tshabalala: "Oosthuizen's aggression impressed me but he tended to drop his guts when going forward and that worried me. He just needs to tie things up a bit. Other than that the boy has a bright future."

Castle said: "Tommy's future is bright but only if he changes trainers. He proved that he can take a punch. That was probably his best fight in his career."

Said Thobela: "Oosthuizen is a smart boy. He fought good, though his aggression was not effective he kept Pryor on the back foot all the time. That can buy judges' decisions. I was disappointed, though, by trainers Harold Volbrecht and Brian Mitchell, who were unable to tell the boy exactly what to do."

Oosthuizen impressed all three judges who scored the fight 117-111. The unassuming South African improved to 16 wins (11 KOs) against one draw, while Pryor suffered his fourth defeat against 16 wins (11 KOs).

Oosthuizen occupies the No 11 spot in the WBC ratings, while Pryor is rated No 9 by the WBC and 14th by the WBO.

Interestingly, both fighters' fathers are legends in their own rights. Oosthuizen' s father, Charles, held the Transvaal and South African junior middleweight and middleweight belts. Like his son, Charles was also a lefty.

Pryor snr was known as "Hawk" and held the WBA and IBF junior welterweight titles.

Sunday's fight was also televised live on HBO, the US's biggest cable network.

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