Skip to main content

Oosthuizen eyeing huge HBO bout in 2013

DBE
Photo by Ed Diller/DiBella Entertainment

On Saturday, November 10, the 24-year-old red-hot undefeated super middleweight contender Thomas "Tommy Gun" Oosthuizen (20-0-1, 13KO's) will look to take yet another major step towards super stardom when he puts his IBO title on the line against the venerable four-time world title challenger Fulgencio Zuniga (25-5-1, 22KO's).  

 The bout is scheduled for 12 rounds in the super middleweight division and will take place at the Emperor's Palace in Oosthuizen's native South Africa.  The card is promoted by Rodney Berman's Golden Gloves Ltd. in association with DiBella Entertainment.

"I am privileged to be fighting for such a large, strong promotional team," said Oosthuizen.  "I'm looking forward to putting on another strong performance on the 10th and then returning to the US to further show my skills to the American public.  My goal is to be fighting on HBO in 2013 and there isn't anything that will prevent me from making that a reality."

The bout against Zuniga will be Oosthuizen's sixth defense of the IBO belt that he won in March 2011 with a ninth-round TKO over Evert Bravo (15-1-1, 11KO's).  In Oosthuizen's most recent outing, the South African made his New York debut and won a dominant 12-round unanimous decision over Rowland Bryant.  Bryant (16-1 at the time) was coming off a TKO over former world title challenger Librado Andrade. The Zuniga bout will be Oosthuizen's fourth for 2012. His previous three opponents had a combined record of 51-3.  Oosthuizen's is currently ranked number three by Ring Magazine, six by the IBF, eight by the WBC, and 11 by the WBA.

"Tommy Oosthuizen is the best fighter to come out of South Africa in many years," said co-promoter Lou DiBella, who promotes Oosthuizen with Rodney Berman.  "He is one of the best young 168 pounders in the world and is already a serious title contender.  The future is limitless for Tommy Oosthuizen and, in 2013, I expect him to further solidify his championship credentials."

"In one of the more vibrant, if not THE most vibrant divisions in world boxing today, the American public will see an exceptional talent out of Africa," said Rodney Berman. "We already know that Tommy is destined to rule the division, but come next year, so will the entire world."

Zuniga challenged for his first world title in 2003, dropping a 12-round decision to WBO junior middleweight champion Daniel Santos. In 2007, Zuniga stopped the 26-0 Victor Oganov to pick up the IBO super middleweight title. Two fights later, he challenged WBO super middleweight titlist Denis Inkin, dropping a 12-round decision. Zuniga would twice more challenge for the championship, getting stopped by Lucian Bute in 2009 and losing a decision to Tavoris Cloud in December 2010.  In Zuniga's most recent outing, he knocked out former IBF super middleweight champion Alejandro Berrio. 


Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

WBN Remembers: "Gypsy Boy" Ernie Smith

Phil D. Jay WBN Editor  (picure by boxrec.com)  After almost a year and a half without one of boxing’s great journeymen, World Boxing News is looking back at the 161-fight career of Worcestershire warrior Ernie Smith, concentrating on his contribution in the ring, rather than the tragic way his life ended out of it. Smith turned professional at super-featherweight in 1998 at the Park Hall Hotel in Wolverhampton, losing a six rounder against Welshman Woody Greenaway.  One month later, Ernie was thrown in with an unknown prospect by the name of Gavin Rees (former world champion and current British Lightweight Champion) who he also took the distance over four rounds. The “Gypsy Boy” then managed to string together a four fight unbeaten run together in early 1999 and ended the year winning five out of his twelve contests, but by this time had already delved into the journeyman pool of boxers with a record of 5-8-1. After settling at the welterweight limit, Ernie gained a su
Read more

BBC make Luke Campbell mum and sister death gaffe

Phil D. Jay  WBN Editor Picture from the BBC  Gabby Logan announces wrong family tragedy The BBC made a major mistake on the final showing of their Olympics Tonight show as host Gabby Logan sparked an anxious quizzing by boxer Luke Campbell’s fans as they announced the ‘loss’ of his mother and sister at a young age. Campbell, 24, took the gold medal in the men’s bantamweight final earlier in the day and was then congratulated by Logan, who announced his victory as a triumph over adversity after the Hull fighter suffered the tragedy six years ago. Unbeknown to presenter Logan, it was Welshman Freddie Evans, who also boxes in an Olympic final tomorrow, who suffered the tragedy as he lost his mother Tracy and sister Scarlett in a car accident in 2006. Fans of Olympic champion Campbell and boxing in general, immediately began handing out sympathy to the boxer after believing what was announced to be true. Logan, after an outcry on social networking website Twitte
Read more

Soccer star Tim Cahill’s cousin Jai Opetaia, 16, spars Danny Green

Phil D. Jay WBN Editor (Picture from The Brisbane Times) Youngster shares ring with IBO champ Jai Opetaia, cousin of Everton Football Club’s star soccer player Tim Cahill, is a sixteen year-old amateur fighter who is deep in preparations for the forthcoming world youth championships.  Recently the youngster was given the opportunity to spar with Australia’s IBO world light-heavyweight champion Danny Green as he prepares to take on Antonio Tarver and gain valuable experience before his trip to Europe. Opetaia, who hails from Watanobbi, has already taken former world champion Anthony Mundine a few rounds in sparring and has added another world renowned boxer to the list in 38 year-old Green. The Australian amateur team departs for the championships in Kazakhstan this Tuesday and Opetaia thinks the gym time with the Aussie boxing starts will stand him in good stead as he looks to claim gold at the under 80kg category. “It feels pretty special,” Opetaia told the Central Coas
Read more