Barely a week after suffering a second-round stoppage defeat at Emperors Palace, Tristan Trutter and his younger brother Cayden have bolted the Hammer Boxing Gym of veteran trainer Harold Volbrecht in Boksburg and joined the successful Hot Box Gym of trainer Colin Nathan in Balfour Park.

Nathan confirmed the news yesterday.

“Yes, they are with me,” he said. “I got called by the boxers' mother on Tuesday for a meeting where I was asked if I will be interested in training the boys. I did not hesitate to take the offer because I know these two boys since I have been following their careers from the amateurs. 

“I also have been a friend to that family. Both of them have talent and youth on their side and that will enable me to shape and mould their careers. I am excited that they came to me.”

Nathan said he loves working with young fighters. “I have a history with young fighters,” said the mentor, who did wonders with both Hekkie Budler and Deejay Kriel.

Nathan is gradually building the career of Anthony Grobler, who remains undefeated after four fights.

Volbrecht is a former SA welterweight boxing champion who did wonders as a trainer, guiding the likes of Phillip Holiday, Corrie Sanders, Sebastiaan Rothmann and Thomas Oosthuizen to becoming world champions from different sanctioning bodies.

The man – who turns 64 on Sunday – has not had a good run lately – probably due to the stress caused by Oosthuizen, after the trainer had done all he could not just to hone his fighting skills but also playing a fatherly role in the boxer’s troubled life outside the boxing ring.

Oosthuizen – who won the IBO belt in the super middleweight and light heavyweight division – is in police custody at the Boksburg Prison, where he is awaiting trial for assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. The super-talented left hander and son of a retired SA junior middleweight and middleweight champion has been in jail since February. He was denied bail – his third attempt – on Wednesday.

Volbrecht has been in charge of the careers of the Trutter brothers since day one. Tristan is 21 years old while his brother is only 19. Tristan has had a good run, including winning the ABU belt in March last year – until he lost badly by a stoppage in the 10th round to Boyd Allen in November. That was Tristan’s second stoppage. He had previously been stopped by Junior Makondo in 2017.

Tristan was again rescued, this time, in the second round after being floored badly by Roarke Knapp last weekend. Tristan’s brother remains undefeated after three fights.