Theo Mthembu who must be considered as one of the greatest trainer’s and managers in South African boxing history did it all, fighting as a professional from 1948 to 1951, then as a journalist for The Mining Sun, and a number of other newspapers.
Mthembu was born in KwaZulu- Natal in February 1927 and as a teenager boxed at the Inkamane College in Vryheid, KwaZulu- Natal and at the Adams College in Amanzimtoti where he was trained by the well-known Khabi Mngoma.
After moving up to the then Transvaal 1948 he made his pro debut on July 31, 1948, fighting under the alias “Brown Panther” against Paul Mononyane at the Bantu Mens Social Centre in Eloff Street, Johannesburg, losing on points over six rounds.
He also met fighters like Speedy Bandes, Eamundu Mbutuma (aka Kid Leopard), Gladstone Mahlo, Alby Tissong and Elijah Mokone before his career was cut short after a near fatal bullet wound. He finished with a record of 2 wins, 3 draws and 6 losses.
After his forced retirement from the ring Theo opened a boxing club at the Entokozweni Family Welfare Centre in Alexandra Township and in 1955 moved to the Dube Village in Soweto where he established a boxing club at the Orlando West Primary School. He subsequently moved the club to the corner of Mahalefele and Sandile Streets in Dube.
As a trainer he produced South African champions like Anthony “Blue Jaguar” Morodi, Levi “Golden Boy” Madi, and then his greatest success was with Jacob “Baby Jake” Matlala, his trainer from the beginning. Matlala the shortest fighter in professional boxing, would win the South African junior flyweight title and four world titles, WBO flyweight and WBO, IBA and WBU junior flyweight titles.
Theo won many awards and prizes for his contribution to the sport of boxing. In 1998, he was presented with the Jack Cheetham Memorial Award for contribution to sport. He was also awarded the President’s Sports Award (Silver) by former President Nelson Mandela, a Life-Time Achievement award and the Special Recognition for Achievement (2003) award by the Gauteng Provincial Government.
He also received the Meritorious, Lifetime Achievement and Dick de Villiers awards at the King Korn/ Boxing World awards over the years.
The South African Government bestowed on Theo the Order of Ikhamanga in Silver at the National Orders awards on 19 October 2004 for his excellent contribution to the development of boxing as a professional fighter, trainer and writer, and to the struggle for non-racial sport in South Africa.
Mthembu will always be remembered for the day Anthony Morodi stood on his head to make the weight before a title fight.
It happened on March 4, 1972, when he was scheduled to defend the SA lightweight title against Moses Mthembu at Curries Fountain in Durban.
Morodi was over the limit at the morning’s weigh-in and then calmly told him to stand on his head while a couple of camp members massaged his legs.
After a few minutes of massaging, Morodi got back on the scale. This time, he was within the limit, and he went on to retain the title when he knocked out the challenger in the eleventh round.
Mthembu passed away February 22, 2007, at the age of 79.
