Last of ‘fighting Toweels’ dies

South Africa has lost a boxing legend with news of the death of former champion and trainer Willie Toweel, pictured.

Leading boxing writer Ron Jackson reported on supersport. com that Toweel, 83, passed away on Christmas evening.

Toweel, who was born in 1934, won the bronze medal in the flyweight division at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki and was one of South Africa’s prominent “fighting Toweels” boxing family.

His brother Vic became South Africa’s first world champion in the bantamweight division.

After losing a final fight to Emile Griffith in 1961, Willie Toweel retired with a record of 46-6-2. He then moved on to a successful career as a boxing trainer.

Toweel started his career as a promising amateur and won SA junior and senior titles.

One of his first major crowns was the SA bantamweight title before becoming national featherweight champion.

His biggest challenge came in 1955 when the 22-year-old Toweel was matched against Robert Cohen, a French-Algerian, for the world bantamweight title. Cohen had Toweel on the canvas twice in the second round but the South African fought back and the 15-round battle turned into one of the most exciting fights in SA boxing history, ending in a draw.

He took on Johnny “Smiler” van Rensburg for the SA and Empire lightweight titles in 1955.

Toweel faded after a good start and retired at the end of the ninth round; his first defeat in 23 fights.

But Toweel had to contend with a major tragedy in a fight with Hubert Essakow in 1956. Essakow was knocked out in the 11th round and died a few days later – something that haunted Toweel for the rest of his life. – ANA