Boxing | History

A to Z of SA heavyweight champs

02 April 2006, 15:15

Who was South Africa’s first heavyweight boxing champion? And do you remember Johnny Ralph, South Africa’s heavyweight hope who had his bubble burst by Freddie Mills when he was bludgeoned to defeat in eight rounds in 1948? Whom did he beat to win the SA heavyweight title?

Read on, here is the complete chronology compiled by Superboxing’s Ron Jackson.

In the early years of South African boxing, championships were in a state of confusion. Titles were claimed and relinquished and residential qualifications played no role as foreign boxers often won "South African" titles and abandoned them on their departure from the country.

Mixed fights between black and white South Africans at all levels of competition were permitted only from October 1976. However, despite this decision by the SA Boxing Board of Control, which had the backing of the minister of sport, Dr Piet Koornhof, there were still black and white champions in addition to the all-SA champion or Supreme champion.

The only exciting thing about the change in regulations was that for the first time in South Africa there would be a true undisputed champion in all divisions. All "Supreme Champions" automatically became national champions with the abolition of race distinction in boxing, in January 1979.

The "white and black " champions who reigned during the transition period are also listed. However, in this chronology all champions who won titles before 1979 irrespective of race or colour are listed strictly in the date order that the title was won or lost.

Heavyweight (More than 190 lb / 86,18 kg)

** denotes black title.

The original weight limit was 158 lb (71,67 kg) up.

July 26,1889	James Couper	W RTD 26	Wolf Bendoff	Jhb.
July 26, 1889	James Couper	W RTD 26	Wolf Bendoff	Jhb.
	(Couper never fought again)
Aug 31, 1895	Joe Goddard	W KO 7	Owen Sullivan	Jhb.
	(Australia)
Nov 23, 1895	Joe Goddard	D 13	Tut Ryan	Jhb.
	(Fight Stopped by Police)
Nov 7, 1896	Joe Goddard	W KO 4	Denver Ed Smith	Jhb.
Feb 6, 1897	Joe Goddard	W KO 2	Mick Dooley	Jhb.
June 5, 1897	Joe Goddard	D 20	Tut Ryan	Jhb.
June 6, 1903	Mike Williams	W KO 3	Jim Speers	Jhb.
Aug 8, 1903	Mike Williams	W RTD 8	Harry Duggan	Jhb.
Oct 10, 1903	Mike Williams	W PTS 20	Arthur Cripps	Jhb.
Apr 2, 1904	Mike Williams	W RTD 8	Tom Ball	Jhb.
June 4, 1904	Mike Williams	W KO 8	Jack Palmer	Jhb.
May 27, 1905	Tim Murphy	W DISQ 4	Mike Williams	Jhb.
	(Australia)
Feb 5, 1906	Mike Williams	W KO 6	Tim Murphy	Jhb.
May 6, 1907	Mike Williams	W KO 18	Jack Valentine	Cape Tn.
Jan 1, 1908	Bill Smith	W DISQ 6	Mike Williams	Durban.
	(Australia)
May 16, 1908	Mike Williams	D 20	Harry Smith,	Durban.
	(Williams then lived in Australia for 3 years)
July 4, 1908	Jack Lalor	W PTS 20	Harry Smith	Durban.
Feb 1, 1909	Dick Heyn	W RSF 1	Maurice Christian	Cape Tn.
Apr 7, 1909	George Anderson	W RSF 19	Syd Hughes	Potch.
July 4, 1912	Mike Williams	W RTD 8	Harry Smith	P.E.
Oct 4, 1912	Jack Lalor	W DISQ 9	Mike Williams	Bulawayo.
Feb 8, 1913	Harry Smith	W DISQ 5	Mike Williams	Harrismith
Dec 27, 1913	Mike Williams	W DISQ 2	Fred Storbeck	Jhb.
Jan 1, 1914	Jack Lalor	W DISQ 2	Fred Storbeck	Bulawayo.
Mar 7, 1914	Fred Storbeck	W RTD 1	Mike Williams	Salisbury.
Apr 11, 1914	Jack Lalor	W PTS 15	Fred Storbeck	Jhb.
July 19, 1915	Jack Lalor	W KO 2	Jim Styles	Cape Tn.
	(Lalor retired in 1917)
May 24, 1917	Fred Storbeck	W PTS 20	Johnny Rutherford	Jhb.
	(for vacant title)
Mar 7, 1918	Jack Lalor	W KO 7	P.O.Prizeman	Cape Tn.
	(Lalor did not claim the title and Storbeck was recognised as champion)
Apr 6, 1918	Nick van den Bergh	W DISQ	Fred Storbeck	Jhb.
Dec 30, 1918	Jack Lalor	W PTS	Nick van den Bergh	Jhb.
	(Lalor was recognised as champion until 1920 when he retired once again)
July 16, 1920	George Pascall	W RSF 5	Mike Williams	Durban.
Dec 4, 1920	Nick van den Bergh	W KO6	Seaman Pascall	Jhb.
June 3, 1922	Nick van den Bergh	W PTS 20	Bob Storbeck	Jhb.
Aug 12, 1922	Johnny Squires	W RTD 11	Nick van den Bergh	Durban.
Dec 30, 1922	Johnny Squires	W KO2	Joe De Witt	Jhb.
Apr 21, 1923	Johnny Squires	W PTS 20	Tom Holdstock	Durban.
Aug 9, 1924	Johnny Squires	W KO4	Fred Storbeck	Jhb.
May 17, 1927	Jimmy Dixon	W KO 4	Young Farratt	Durban.. **
	Billed as South African heavyweight title.
May 10, 1930	Don McCorkindale	W RTD 12	Johnny Squires	Jhb.
	(In June 1931 McCorkindale left for England and in September 1933 was stripped of the title by the Boxing Board)
June 25, 1934	Ben Foord	W KO4	Willie Storm	Cape Tn.
	(vacant title),(Foord left for the United Kingdom in 1934 and never defended the title which was declared vacant)
July 31, 1937	Robey Leibrandt	W KO4	Jim Pentz	Jhb.
	(vacant title),(Leibrandt left for overseas at the end of 1937 and the title was subsequently declared vacant)
Dec 3, 1938	Tommy Bensch	W PTS 12	Dave Carstens	Jhb.
	(vacant title)
Jan 20, 1940	Tommy Bensch	W PTS 12	Ben Foord	Jhb.
Nov 3, 1945	Nick Wolmarans	W PTS 12	Tommy Bensch	Jhb.
Mar 9, 1946	Nick Wolmarans	W PTS 12	Tommy Bensch	Jhb.
Feb 17, 1947	Johnny Ralph	W KO6	Nick Wolmarans	Jhb.
Aug 21, 1947	Johnny Ralph	W KO3	Jack Kukard	Jhb.
	(Subsequently injured in a car accident in 1949 and retired)
Nov 22, 1950	Piet Strydom	W PTS 12	George Hunter	Pretoria.
	(vacant title)
Jun 16, 1951	Piet Strydom	W RSF3	George Bissett	Jhb.
	(Strydom relinquished the title)
Dec 17, 1952	Louw Strydom	W KO3	George Bissett	Cape Tn.
Jan 31, 1953	Johnny Arthur	W RTD9	Louw Strydom	Jhb.
Apr 12, 1953	Johnny Arthur	W RTD 11	Louw Strydom	Kroonstad
Apr 28, 1953	King Kong	W KO5	Foxy Mntambo	Cape Tn.. **
	(first recorded fight for Black title)
Jun 15, 1953	Johnny Arthur	W KO1	Jack Kukard	Cape Tn.
Jul 24, 1953	Johnny Arthur	W RTD6	Louw Strydom	Jhb.
May 15, 1954	Johnny Arthur	W KO6	Mike Oberholzer	Kroonstad
Jan 28, 1955	Willie Khongwane	W KO3	Meshack Sithole	Jhb.. **
	(Vacant Black Title)
Oct 12, 1955	Willie Khongwane	W PTS 12	Ezrom Ngcobo	Cape Tn.. **
Jun 1, 1956	Willie Khongwane	W PTS 12	Ezrom Ngcobo	Jhb.. **
Nov 10, 1956	Johnny Arthur	W RSF3	Andries Nieman	Jhb.
Sept 7, 1957	Willie Khongwane	W PTS 12	Ezrom Ngcobo	Jhb.. **
Sept 28, 1957	Gawie De Klerk	W RSF4	Eddie Theron	Pretoria.
	(vacant title)
Aug 30, 1958	Gawie De Klerk	W KO1	Eddie Theron	Salisbury
Apr 25, 1959	Gawie De Klerk	W KO1	Jan Scheepers	Groblersdal
Dec 5, 1959	Gawie De Klerk	W RSF 12	Dawid Hamman	Jhb.
Apr 13, 1960	Gawie De Klerk	W PTS 12	Piet Strydom	Pretoria.
May 20, 1961	Gawie De Klerk	W KO11	Jan Scheepers	Jhb.
Aug 5, 1961	Gawie De Klerk	W KO7	Alf McKnight	Jhb.
Sept 9, 1961	Gawie De Klerk	W RSF4	Stan Lotriet,	Caledon
	(De Klerk retired early in 1962 and the title was declared vacant)
Mar 17, 1962	Daan Bekker	W KO6	Jan Scheepers	Jhb.
	(vacant title)
June 9, 1962	Daan Bekker	W PTS 12	Stoffel Willemse	Jhb.
Jan 26, 1963	Stoffel Willemse	W KO7	Daan Bekker	Jhb.
July 6, 1963	Stoffel Willemse	W RTD1	Doug Nicholas	Durban.
Feb 29, 1964	Billy Lotter	W PTS 12	Stoffel Willemse	Jhb.
June 20, 1964	Ezrom Ngcobo	W PTS 12	Samson Zwane	Germiston. **
	(Black Vacant Title)
Aug 12, 1964	Ezrom Ngcobo	W PTS 12	Remmington Dyanti	Cape Tn.. **
Nov, 1964	Ezrom Ngcobo	W PTS 12	Samson Zwane	Jhb.. **
Mar 8, 1965	Billy Lotter	W PTS 12	Dewald De Waal	Jhb.
May 2, 1966	Gerry De Bruyn	W KO7	Billy Lotter	Jhb.
May 30, 1966	Gerry De Bruyn	W PTS 12	Dewald De Waal	Jhb.
Dec 10, 1966	Gerry De Bruyn	W KO8	Gert Van Heerden	Jhb.
Feb 1, 1967	Gerry De Bruyn	W KO7	Tommy Miller	Cape Tn.
July 29, 1967	Gerry De Bruyn	W KO7	Tommy Miller	Jhb.
Oct 7, 1967	Gerry De Bruyn	W PTS 12	Dewald De Waal	Jhb.
Dec 15, 1967	Remmington Dyanti	W PTS 12	Ezrom Ngcobo	P.E.
Oct 9, 1968	Ezrom Ngcobo	W KO7	Remmington Dyanti	Cape Tn.. **
June 6, 1969	Japie Pretorius	W RTD4	Gerry De Bruyn	Jhb.
Dec 20, 1969	Remmington Dyanti	W TKO8	Smith Tshabalala,	Jhb.. **
	(Black Vacant Title)
Apr 11, 1970	Sarel Aucamp	W PTS 12	Japie Pretorius	Jhb.
Dec 5, 1970	Sarel Aucamp	W RSF8	Japie Pretorius	Jhb.
June 19, 1971	Remmington Dyanti	W KO12	Fraser Memela	Durban.. **
Dec 4, 1971	Remmington Dyanti	W TKO 4	Simon Mathonsi,	East London
Apr 8, 1972	Fraser Memela	W TKO5	Remmington Dyanti	Pretoria
Oct 14, 1972	Chris Roos	W PTS 12	Sarel Aucamp	Jhb.
Mar 17, 1973	Jimmy Richards	W PTS 12	Chris Roos	Jhb.
Jul, 1973	Fraser Memela	W KO9	John Nyalunga	Durban.. **
Nov 2, 1973	Jimmy Richards	W PTS 12	Johnny Britz	P.E.
Feb 9, 1974	Jimmy Richards	W DISQ 4	Dawie Du Preez	Pretoria
Apr 20, 1974	Jimmy Richards	W RSF 12	Mike Schutte	Pretoria
Dec 12, 1974	James Mathatho	W PTS 12	Fraser Memela	LadySmith
Feb 8, 1975	Jimmy Richards	W PTS 12	Mike Schutte	Pretoria
Sept 13, 1975	Mike Schutte	W PTS 12	Jimmy Richards	Jhb.
Feb 14, 1976	James Mathatho	W TKO6	Fraser Memela	Jhb.. **
Aug 16, 1976	Gerrie Coetzee	W DISQ 6	Mike Schutte	Durban.
Nov 27, 1976	Gerrie Coetzee	W KO7	James Mathatho	Jhb.
	(Supreme Title)
Mar 19, 1977	Gerrie Coetzee	W KO3	Pierre Fourie	Jhb.
Apr 16, 1977	Gerrie Coetzee	W PTS 12	Mike Schutte	Jhb.
	(Coetzee reliquished the title in September 1983)
Aug 13, 1977	Kallie Knoetze	W KO 2	Mike Schutte	Jhb.
Dec 19, 1983	Robbie Williams	W TKO5	Ron Ellis	Durban.
	(vacant title), (Williams retired March 1984)
Sept 22, 1984	Pierre Coetzer	W KO3	Bennie Knoetz	Jhb.
	(vacant title), (Coetzer relinquished title on 15 November 1990)
July 27, 1991	Corrie Sanders		Johnny Du Plooy	Sun City
	(vacant title), (Sanders relinquished the title February 1999)
Aug 8, 1999	Jacob Mofokeng	W TKO 11	Isaac Mahlang	Jhb.
	(vacant title), (stripped of title for alledged use of drug substance)
Dec 15, 2000	Anton Nel	W KO 1	Sam Ubokane	Jhb.
	(vacant title)
Sep 1, 2000	Jacob Mofokeng	W KO 3	Anton Nel	Brakpan
	Mofokeng relinquished title due to health reasons.
Aug 19, 2001	Anton Nel	W TKO 1	Jokkie Oberholzer	Cape Tn.
	(vacant title)
Oct 24, 2001	Anton Nel	W TKO 3	Sam Umbokane	Hammanskraal.
May 11, 2002	Anton Nel	W KO 10	Osborne Machimane	East London.
Jul 26, 2003	Anton Nel	W TKO 6	Wiseman Dlomo	Giyani.
Oct 4, 2004	Anton Nel	W PTS 12	Danie Venter	Brakpan
Apr 16, 2005	Osborne Machimana	W KO 5	Anton Nel	Brakpan
Oct 20, 2006	Osborne Machimana	W TKO 7	Wiseman Dlomo	Durban
Aug 7, 2007	Osborne Machimana	W TKO 5	Jake Els	Kempton Park
Nov 12, 2007	Osborne Machimana	W KO 7	Pieter Cronje	Kempton Park
Feb 2, 2008	Osborne Machimana	W KO 1	Corrie Sanders	Kempton Park
May 31, 2008	Osborne Machimana	W TKO 5	Miyan Solomans	Kempton Park
November 22, 2008	Osborne Machimana	W PTS 12	Miyan Solomons	Mdantsane
March 7, 2010	Osborne Machimana	W TKO 8	Bull Muravha	Johannesburg
April 29, 2010	Wiseman Dlomo	KO 5 t	Anton Nel	Durban
	(for vacant title; Machimana relinquished the title January 2011)

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