His nickname “Tommy-Gun” comes from Tommy Oosthuizen’s younger days as IBO super middleweight (76kg) World Champion, when he still had lightning-fast fists that could be compared to bullets from a gun.

These days this charismatic and extremely talented boxer, who stands 1.93m in his socks, fights as a cruiserweight (91kg) and although he is no longer quite as lightning fast with his fists as he used to be, there is probably now more power behind Oosthuizen’s punches, while there is nothing wrong with his accuracy.

He showed this at The Carousel Casino on Sunday in front of a crowd of several hundred, when he systematically dismantled Limbani Lano with a well-chosen gameplan, until the Malawian’s bravery from the previous day’s weigh-in session disappeared like fog before the sun.  In the sixth round he let it appear that he had had enough and surrendered to give Oosthuizen a technical knockout victory.

Oosthuizen said beforehand that in this weight division, where boxers can hit much harder, he doesn’t want to make the mistake of getting involved in a proverbial street fight just to give spectators who want to see a knockout punch their way.

“I believe I have to keep my head down and beat my opponent with proper boxing techniques. If the opportunity comes and I get a knockout, that’s a bonus,” he expressed his attitude.

This is exactly what van Oosthuizen did on Sunday and with good combinations of body shots, interspersed with accurate shots to the head, he forced this tough opponent to surrender.

The bonus was probably the fact that Lano was so tough and had a jaw that could take a lot of punishment, as it gave Oosthuizen, who had been out of action for a year, the chance to box for six rounds and a to shake off some of his ring rust.

According to his promoter, his next fight is already planned for the end of November again at The Carousel Casino.

By the way, the popular and nostalgic old Cowboy bar, the Cheyenne Saloon, at The Carousel Casino, is the ideal place to host boxing tournaments like this. The cosy ambience works much better than a larger venue where people sometimes must sit too far from the ring.

According to Stephen Petrowski, a representative of the new owners of the well-known entertainment center north of Pretoria, their casino is back in use with 400 slot machines and six tables, while self-catering accommodation, as well as the hotel, are again available.

Various sporting events, car shows and rally races, as well as music shows and stand-up comedians are also in the pipeline at the revived Carousel.

– The other five bouts of 5th Element Promotions’ Battle of the Warriors 7 tournament also produced plenty of action on Sunday night. Two knockouts and three points decisions testify that the spectators could enjoy enough action and excitement.

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