In just a few weeks a local boxer will fight for his chance at the WCB Heavyweight title in the heavyweight bout in Johannesburg. Husband, father, and boxer, Wiek Roets, said there is more to boxing than meets the eye.
When he is not training and working on his mental well-being, Roets mentors young people in need and rescues pets that need a home. Despite recovering from a knee injury and two strokes in his lifetime, he still has the grit to compete professionally. “At first I didn’t want to, but the love for boxing resurfaced. All of a sudden I’d find myself training every night. Later on, I decided that I need to involve more people because I have got all this space,” he said.
The humble “Batista”, a nickname he got from people because of how tall he is, continued to reflect on the time he mentored a young man who had a history of shoplifting. “He evolved massively. When I saw the impact that routine and basic principles had on a person I realised that the guys in rehab centers are limited to a certain amount of things that they do. One thing that came up is that they get bored in rehab houses and they can get involved in other wrongdoings. I decided to go to a center and I suggested that I take some of the guys to train and play around with boxing gloves,” he explained.
There are so many principles in the sport that can be used to teach discipline, he added. “Within a year I made so much impact in people’s lives through boxing.” Seeing the difference inspired him to do more for himself and he realised that he had more energy to spend time with his family and get back into the ring.
Of course, he needed to adjust his weight to qualify for the upcoming fight as he generally was in a “super heavyweight” division. “No one wanted to fight me,” he said.
Roets says that there is so much untapped talent in Bloemfontein, and he would like to harness it. Sponsorship and support at this stage poses a challenge for the boxer as he needs to travel and train, with other costs.
The fight takes place on 5 May 2023 and he encourages locals to stream the fight to show support. To get in touch and follow the heavyweight boxer follow his Facebook account, Milandré Roets, or give him a call at 071-486-1400.
Gypseenia Lion
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