Christmas Farewell and Tribute to Willie Toweel
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
When this reporter heard the great Willie Toweel, who Rocky Marciano once described as the white version of Sugar Ray Robinson in the lower weight classes, had passed away on Christmas night 2017 at age 83, a reflective look back on his career was necessary.
Willie campaigned at bantamweight, featherweight, and lightweight. His last bout was an eighth-round stoppage loss to Emile Griffith at welterweight in Madison Square Garden in October 1960. Toweel, with a career record of 46-6-2 with 23 knockouts, at one time or another, held the South African bantamweight, featherweight, lightweight and welterweight titles, as well as the Commonwealth British Empire Lightweight title.
Toweel, then 20-0, came off the canvas several times to draw with Robert Cohen over 15 rounds in 1956 in a World Bantamweight title bout, his only world title bout opportunity. Cohen lost his next three bouts and retired. Willie’s brother Vic Toweel, ‘The Benoni Atom’, became South Africa’s first undisputed world champion when he won the World Bantamweight title over Manuel Ortiz over 15 rounds in 1950. In later years, Willie became a trainer, and trained Thulani Malinga, Brian Mitchell and Charlie Weir.
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