Boxers must take every chance to fight for titles

Boxers must fight for any title on offer because not all boxers will be fortunate to get opportunities to fight for the WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO. They must simply ignore what armchair critics say about what they refer to as minimal titles that don’t form part of the above "super four". 

This sincere warning was issued yesterday by William “The Conqueror” Gare who won the  WBF super-middleweight belt today 15 years ago. 

A class act from Maile in Rustenburg, Gare, who grew up in Meadowlands, Soweto, stopped Maselino Maoe from Auckland, New Zealand, in the fourth round in the main bout on Robs Boxing Promotion’s at the Town Hall in Bloemfontein in 2008.    

The WBF is one of those sanctioning boxing bodies that is regarded by some as being minor yet many fighters, including Zolani Tete and Noni Tenge, gained recognition from other sanctioning bodies after holding a WBF title.

Lennox Lewis once said titles don’t make champions but instead champions make titles.

“Boxers must not listen to what people in the streets say about other boxing belts; they must grab any opportunity on offer,” said Gare who won the “minimal” WBF belt in his 37th professional fight. Despite all his super skills, Gare did not have a promoter dedicated to him until newcomer Blacky Seoe recognised his abilities and organised that fight for the title.

“That title changed my life for the better financially,” he said.

“I recall earning R120,000 from Blacky and life changed for my family.

“Blacky was a new promoter and the pressure was on me to prove to him that I was still the man; I was around 30 years old or so when I got that offer.

“People say many things about boxing belts that are described as small, but they don’t do nothing to help. Not every boxer here will fight for the WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO. In fact, just check the number of local fighters who fought for those big titles. If the IBO gives them the chance to fight for their titles, they must go for it.”

That sanctioning body did wonders for South African fighters and it still does even to this day. Gare, whose illustrious career began in 1994, retired in 2013.

At 48, Gare who is based in Braamfischerville, Soweto, is as fit as a fiddle.