Young Sheldon has the world at his feet
Sheldon ‘The IG Brawler’ Stols hopes he is soon graded as an amateur boxer and is adamant that nothing will stand in his way of becoming a boxing champ.
Sheldon Stols, known as ‘The IG Brawler’, joined boxing for only one reason – his love for the sport.
Five months later, and after having taken up white-collar boxing, young Sheldon is sitting on his second white-collar boxing fight.
The Verwoerdpark youngster, who aspires to be a boxing world champion, attends Laerskool Randhart.
He will fight his second bout at a white-collar boxing event on March 31 and is looking forward to it.
Immovable passion
His father, Jacques Harmse, said this was the beginning of greatness.
“Sheldon is an upcoming boxer who, I feel, will represent South Africa well, not just the country, but the whole of Alberton and Johannesburg South.
“From April, he will join Nicky Ness, the best amateur coach in South Africa. Hopefully, before the end of the year, he will be graded as an amateur boxer and get his boxing license,” he explained.
According to Harmse, if Sheldon is graded by the end of the year, he could turn professional at 16.
“Sheldon has received many messages of support from well-known boxers like Roarke Knapp, his favourite boxer. Layten Gloss is also one of his favourite boxers. He’s got the discipline and dedication.
“He runs through the whole of Alberton in the afternoons. He has forever had a love for boxing. If you handed him the remote, he would tune into boxing,” he said.
Harmse’s business partner Shaun Potgieter, also a professional boxer, started training Sheldon, and he showed great interest in the sport.
“When I asked him which sport he was most interested in, he said he wanted to do boxing. He has a bright future ahead of him, and if he keeps up with this dedication and discipline, he will get far in the sport. His upcoming fight will probably be his last white collar,” Harmse said.
Positive about the future
In an exclusive interview, young Sheldon said, “It was after my dad and his partner Shaun Potgieter opened a boxing club in Brakpan last year that I felt I wanted to do boxing. I want to be a professional boxer when I’m older, and I want to represent South Africa. In November 2022, I had my first white-collar fight, and I found it quite easy.”
He said the four things a budding boxer must have is heart, faith, discipline and dedication.
He thanked his father for his unwavering support, Potgieter for getting him started in the sport and family and friends, including other supportive boxers.
