Former SA champion Dlamini quits boxing

Walter Dlamini has officially hung up his boxing gloves.

The 41-year-old former SA and WBA Pan African middleweight champion, who is known as “Black Mamba” from Limpopo, made this announcement yesterday. Dlamini has had a successful career which began in 2012.

Part of his letter to Boxing SA reads: “It is with a heavy heart that I write you this message today. I have decided to permanently retire from boxing.

“This decision was not an easy one for me to make as boxing is all I have done since I was a child. I want to thank my fans for their loyalty. I always believed that their enthusiasm and support helped carry me to victory with every fight I had.”

Dlamini – who defied all odds when he won the SA and WBA Pan African belts when his obituary as a fighter had already been written – added: “I would like BSA to grant me a licence of a coach so that I groom youngsters.”

At 38, Dlamini, whose corner was manned by Lionel Hunter, smashed defending champion Wade Groth in just 42 seconds in 2018. That victory became the shortest title fight in the history of local boxing.

Dlamini lost the belt in his first defence to Nkululeko Mhlongo via a fourth- round stoppage in 2019. The former champion spent two years without action and he made a come-back on Sunday at Booysens Gym.

Dlamini suffered a seventh round knockout by Mbiya Kanku from Congo. It was not a good sight to see his children cry.

The same happened to Dingaan Thobela when he lost to Soon Botes at Wembley Arena in 2006. Although Thobela dropped Botes, he was clearly not conditioned to fight, so he did not come out for the 10th round. It was emotional to see his family crying in his corner. He quit.