It’s official – Tommy Oosthuizen is a champion without a belt.
Anyhow, that’s the way he’s putting it after relinquishing his IBO super-middleweight belt in favour of chasing light-heavyweight honours.
The IBO has accepted his decision with good grace and wished him well. In another significant development, the WBA has installed Oosthuizen at number four in their light-heavyweight ratings.
It’s been a dramatic few months for the fighter, who had a big fight cancelled in Canada, then fell out with Golden Gloves, only to enter rehabilitation and then mend his relationship with his promoter.
Rodney Berman is hoping these events are a watershed for the boxer and he emerges even better than he ever was.
The IBO decision was a smart one. Oosthuizen was always freakishly tall for the super-middleweights and reducing weight was often a struggle. The move up is a natural development that ought to be welcomed. Hopefully he transfers his power to the new division.
The encouraging news is that trainer Harold Volbrecht has already asked Oosthuizen to let up at the gym. “He’s in twice a day and works helluva hard. I’ve asked him to slack off a bit for now, especially with no fight on the horizon.”
There are any number of options available to Oosthuizen. Overseas promoters have put in a couple of tentative calls with the division itself very fluid with Adonis Stevenson and Sergei Kovolev both making big waves.
Oosthuizen has never seen Kovolev fight, but says he fears no man in the division. “Bring them on – I’ll fight them all.”
There are no firm plans to put him on a particular bill, although he’s quietly hoping Golden Gloves can find a slot for him on the Monte Carlo tournament in June.
Failing that, Oosthuizen would seem a natural fit for the “Super Six” tournament, especially with local rival Ryno Liebenberg having entered the WBC top 10. Berman, though, wouldn’t be pushed on his plans for the unbeaten banger.
He did, however, say he welcomed all suggestions from visitors to GOLDENGLOVES.CO.ZA.
“Who knows? I might be swayed by popular opinion.”
