Former world champion boxer turned lawyer Lovemore Ndou has lent his support to incarcerated fellow fighter Thomas Oosthuizen, who has been in jail since February.
Denied bail on charges of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, "Tommy Gun" has been in police custody at Boksburg prison with the case to go to trial today.
Sydney-based Ndou insists the former IBO super-middleweight and light-heavyweight champion can put his troubles behind him and return to the ring.
“Look, I can’t comment on the matter as the charges are still pending, but all I can say is he remains innocent until proven guilty,” two-time champion Ndou said yesterday.
“Tommy reached out to me for help, not as a lawyer, but as a brother and I agreed to help but on very strict conditions. I cannot personally represent him in court as I am based in Australia, but I have hired and paid a very prominent lawyer, Charl Roux van Tonder, to act for him. This is on the basis that upon his release he [Oosthuizen] will attend a drug and alcohol counselling course which I will also personally pay for.”
Australia-based pugilist hires lawyer to defend troubled boxer
Ndou wants to see Oosthuizen out of woods
Former world champion boxer turned lawyer Lovemore Ndou has lent his support to incarcerated fellow fighter Thomas Oosthuizen, who has been in jail since February.
Denied bail on charges of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, "Tommy Gun" has been in police custody at Boksburg prison with the case to go to trial today.
Sydney-based Ndou insists the former IBO super-middleweight and light-heavyweight champion can put his troubles behind him and return to the ring.
“Look, I can’t comment on the matter as the charges are still pending, but all I can say is he remains innocent until proven guilty,” two-time champion Ndou said yesterday.
“Tommy reached out to me for help, not as a lawyer, but as a brother and I agreed to help but on very strict conditions. I cannot personally represent him in court as I am based in Australia, but I have hired and paid a very prominent lawyer, Charl Roux van Tonder, to act for him. This is on the basis that upon his release he [Oosthuizen] will attend a drug and alcohol counselling course which I will also personally pay for.”
Ndou did not attempt to gloss over Oosthuizen’s tempestuous past and previous brushes with the law.
“I’m well aware that Tommy has had issues before on a number of occasions, so obviously there must be a trigger behind his behaviour,” he said. “It could be drugs, alcohol or the people he associates with, I don’t know, but I believe with proper counselling he can turn his life around. He is by far the most talented Southpaw boxer I have ever shared a gym with. I saw that first hand when I trained with Harold Volbrecht and I believe he can still win a world title if he chooses the right path.”
Ndou said he sees Oosthuizen giving the likes of Saul “Canelo” Alvarez a run for their money.
“But Tommy needs to straighten his life out first before he can even dream about such a fight,” said Ndou.
u did not attempt to gloss over Oosthuizen’s tempestuous past and previous brushes with the law.
“I’m well aware that Tommy has had issues before on a number of occasions, so obviously there must be a trigger behind his behaviour,” he said. “It could be drugs, alcohol or the people he associates with, I don’t know, but I believe with proper counselling he can turn his life around. He is by far the most talented Southpaw boxer I have ever shared a gym with. I saw that first hand when I trained with Harold Volbrecht and I believe he can still win a world title if he chooses the right path.”
Ndou said he sees Oosthuizen giving the likes of Saul “Canelo” Alvarez a run for their money.
“But Tommy needs to straighten his life out first before he can even dream about such a fight,” said Ndou.