Tommy Gun looks beyond tough Yannic

HOMETOWN HERO: Thomas “Tommy Gun”oosthuizen returned to his former high school to give a motivational talk to students and warned them against being involved in criminal activities.

MESULI ZIFO

THOMAS Oosthuizen may have a big fight on his hands but that has not stopped him from taking time off from training to fulfilling his social responsibilities.

The boxer nicknamed Tommy Gun, will defend his IBO super middleweight title against Australian Serge Yannic at Emperors Palace on March 3. Yannic who has lost just once in 15 bouts will probably be the toughest opponent Oosthuizen will face and the local southpaw has been training like a madman for the fight.

However, there are fears that Oosthuizen may be taking Yannic lightly especially after he took time off to visit his old school in the middle of his training camp. Hundreds of learners at Oosterlig High School in Boksburg flocked to see one of their former own accompanied by his head trainer Harold Volbrecht, former two-time world champion Brian Mitchell and promoter Rodney Berman.

Tommy Gun delivered a motivational speech advising the learners to concentrate on their studies and warning them not involve themselves with criminal activities.

Mitchell who is also the fighter’s manager allayed fears that Oosthuizen was taking Yannic lightly, saying his charge was training hard for the fight.

“No, no people must not think that we are taking Yannic lightly because we went to Tommy Gun’s school,” Mitchell insisted.

With mega-bouts on the horizon, Oosthuizen cannot afford to look bad, let alone lose against Yannic as the super middleweight division is crammed with talented prospects who are all trying to climb up the ladder.

For instance the winner between Edwin Rodriguez and Don George on March 17 at Madison Square Garden in New York will probably emerge as the leader of the pack. Ironically Rodriguez and Oosthuizen are both under the guidance of US promoter Lou Dibella.

Oosthuizen, returns to the US to headline a show on Shobox in April.

Flo Simba and Daniel Bruwer will fight on the undercard of OosthuizenYannic bout. Kaizer Mabuza and Steve Willis will vie for the vacant IBO junior welterweight crown while Sipho Taliwe will defend his WBC International junior lightweight title against Joey Stiglingh.