South Africa’s most talented boxer, former IBO world light heavyweight and IBO super middleweight champion, Tommy Oosthuizen, is back in the ring and Pretoria’s boxing fans will get the chance to see him in action on Sunday.

Oosthuizen will fight at the Carousel Casino north of the city for the third time since his return to the limelight in September 2021. This time a major title is on the line. “Tommy Gun”, as he is known to supporters, will be involved in a battle for the vacant African Boxing Union’s (ABU) cruiserweight title.

5th Element Promotions has long been known as the boxing promoters with a difference and on Sunday 12 March these “thinking outside the box”-promoters are doing it again. Their ninth ‘Battle of the Warriors’ boxing tournament will take place under the subtitle ‘Art of War’ in the legendary Cheyenne Saloon at the Carousel Casino.

The tournament will feature six exciting fights, catering to every boxing fan’s taste.

In the preliminary fights there will be a junior welterweight bout between Creed Moyo from Zimbabwe and Clement Pilusa from Boksburg; a cruiserweight fight between Youssoff Mwanza from the DRC and the promising Jonathan Sam from Alberton; and a super middleweight fight between Keagan Mills from Germiston and Thembani Mhlanga from Zimbabwe.

There will also be women’s boxing action when Benoni’s Bonita van Jaarsveld takes on Mitchell Mubaya from Zimbabwe in a women’s lightweight showdown.

Just prior to the main event, the exciting Faraday Mukandila from the DRC, who is a familiar face at 5th Element Promotions’ tournaments, will take on Angola’s Henriques Lando in a welterweight bout.

In the main event, Tommy Oosthuizen makes an onslaught on the ABU’s cruiserweight title, which was left vacant by the inactive Olanrewaju Durodola of Nigeria. Oosthuizen’s opponent is Musa “Hitman” Ntege from Uganda, whose record as a professional boxer stands at ten fights; eight of these with victories (six knock outs) and two losses.

For Oosthuizen, this fight is a huge opportunity to get closer to his dream of once again being able to tie a world title belt around his waist. Since his return to boxing in September 2021, his promoters have struggled to find serious opponents to fight him. However, Oosthuizen stayed busy and scored three good wins – two of them at the Carousel Casino – in 5th Element Promotions tournaments.

Now he is on the verge of a breakthrough. Ntege is the current East and Central Africa cruiserweight champion of the ABU and also a top contender for the continental title. So, the winner of this fight will officially be Africa’s new cruiserweight champion.

If Oosthuizen can win this ABU title fight, it will be the second time in his career that he can call this prestigious continental title his own. He briefly held it when he beat Thabiso Mchunu on points in September 2018 in a fight in which both this title and the South African cruiserweight title were on the line.

However, three months later, in December 2018, Mchunu took the two titles from Oosthuizen when he won their rematch on points. Soon after, Oosthuizen’s career (and life) temporarily derailed due to personal issues, but he is now determined to turn the last part of his boxing career into the best part.

He makes no secret of his plans. When (not if) he wins this ABU title on Sunday, he will go on an international title hunt, he said in a recent interview. According to a very positive Oosthuizen, who these days as a rehabilitated man and converted Christian is full of self-confidence again, he will not rest until he is at least the amalgamated cruiserweight champion of the world’s three leading boxing governing bodies.

Tommy Gun Oosthuizen is definitely not a big-mouthed windbag. His history as a boxer and former world champion testifies to that. Boxing fans who will therefore make the effort to visit the Carousel Casino on Sunday to see his onslaught on the African title, may become part of the beginning of a special chapter in South African boxing history.

The tournament will start on Sunday at 17:00 and tickets will be on sale from 16:00 at the entrance to the Cheyenne Saloon at the Carousel casino. For more info, phone 076-325-8982.

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