Thomas Oosthuizen, inactive for more than a year, returns to the ring this Saturday, the 27th, in a scheduled 12-round face-off with Daniel Bruwer for the vacant WBA Pan African light heavyweight title. The match will take place at the Birchwood Hotel in Boksburg, Gauteng, South Africa.
Fighting out of Boksburg, 28-year-old Oosthuizen is an eight-year pro (25-0-2, 14 KOs) who won the vacant WBA Pan African super middleweight title in October 2009 by knocking out Tshepang Mohale in the fourth, the vacant IBO World super middleweight title in March 2011 by stopping Evert Bravo via ninth-round TKO (a title he successfully defended seven times before vacating in April 2014 to move up to light heavyweight), the vacant WBC International light heavyweight title seven months later by retiring Denis Grachev in the 11th, and the vacant IBO World light heavyweight title in March 2015 by beating Ryno Liebenberg via split decision. The undefeated southpaw last fought three months later, beating Robert Berridge by unanimous decision. But “Tommy Gun” was stripped of his title before the match due to his failure to make weight. Worse, his March 2016 bout with Juergen Braehmer for the German’s WBA World light heavyweight title was canceled due to his refusal to take the upcoming match seriously. “I pull him out of bars, I bail him out of police stations, I get him out of street fights,” said former trainer Harold Volbrecht.
His 31-year-old opponent has fought out of Meyerton, Gauteng, since 2003, though out of the ring in ’09 and ’15 (24-6-1, 21 KOs). “Billy the Kid” won South Africa’s light heavyweight title in November 2007 by stopping Soon Botes via 10th-round TKO, the vacant South African cruiserweight title in June 2013 by stopping Fikile Nyalunga via 11th-round TKO, and the vacant WBF International cruiserweight title three months later by knocking out Sofiane Sebihi in the eighth. He last fought in October 2014, losing in his quest for the interim WBO Inter-Continental cruiserweight title to Oleksandr Usyk, who won by seventh-round TKO.
However rusty, Oosthuizen should win this one, which will perhaps bring his career back on track.
This article was penned by the author who is not related to the WBA and the statements, expressions or opinions referenced herein are that of the author alone and not the WBA.
