The Most Famous
BOXERS from South Africa
This page contains a list of the greatest South African Boxers. The pantheon dataset contains 496 Boxers, 3 of which were born in South Africa. This makes South Africa the birth place of the 28th most number of Boxers behind Canada, and Ireland.
Top 5
The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary South African Boxers of all time. This list of famous South African Boxers is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity.
1. Gerald Dreyer (1929 - 1985)
With an HPI of 46.89, Gerald Dreyer is the most famous South African Boxer. His biography has been translated into 15 different languages on wikipedia.
Gerald Dreyer (22 September 1929 – 5 September 1985) was a boxer from Pretoria, South Africa, who competed in the Lightweight division during his career as an amateur.
2. Corrie Sanders (1966 - 2012)
With an HPI of 44.55, Corrie Sanders is the 2nd most famous South African Boxer. His biography has been translated into 17 different languages.
Cornelius Johannes Sanders (7 January 1966 – 23 September 2012) was a South African professional boxer who competed from 1989 to 2008. He won the WBO heavyweight title in 2003 after knocking out Wladimir Klitschko in two rounds, which was considered one of the biggest upsets in heavyweight boxing history; The Ring magazine named it the Upset of the Year. In 2004, having vacated the WBO title, Sanders faced Wladimir's brother Vitali Klitschko in an unsuccessful challenge for the vacant WBC and Ring heavyweight titles. He also held the WBU heavyweight title from 1997 until 2000 and the South Africa national heavyweight title in 1991. Nicknamed "The Sniper", Sanders was a southpaw with a long reach, and was known for carrying formidable knockout power in his straight left hand. He died in a hospital in the early hours of 23 September 2012 after being shot during an armed robbery. Sanders also held wins against former cruiserweight champions Johnny Nelson, Carlos de Leon, Bobby Czyz, and Al Cole.
3. David Carstens (1914 - 1955)
With an HPI of 43.59, David Carstens is the 3rd most famous South African Boxer. His biography has been translated into 18 different languages.
David Daniel Carstens (September 1914, in Strand – 6 August 1955) was a South African boxer who competed in the Olympic games in 1932. He won the gold medal in the light heavyweight competition in Los Angeles, beating Gino Rossi of Italy in the final match.
4. George Hunter (1927 - 2004)
With an HPI of 43.25, George Hunter is the 4th most famous South African Boxer. His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.
George Hunter (22 July 1927 – 12 December 2004) was a professional boxer from South Africa, who competed in the Light Heavyweight division during his career as an amateur. He was born in Brakpan. His father was born in Durban and his mother was born Pretoria. All four of his grandparents were from England.
5. Willie Toweel (1934 - 2017)
With an HPI of 37.00, Willie Toweel is the 5th most famous South African Boxer. His biography has been translated into 18 different languages.
Willie Michael "Willie" Toweel (6 April 1934 – 25 December 2017) was a boxer from South Africa, who won the bronze medal in the flyweight division (– 51 kg) at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Finland.
People
Pantheon has 5 people classified as South African boxers born between 1914 and 1966. Of these 5, none of them are still alive today. The most famous deceased South African boxers include Gerald Dreyer, Corrie Sanders, and David Carstens. As of April 2024, 2 new South African boxers have been added to Pantheon including Gerald Dreyer, and George Hunter.
Deceased South African Boxers
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Gerald Dreyer
1929 - 1985
HPI: 46.89
Corrie Sanders
1966 - 2012
HPI: 44.55
David Carstens
1914 - 1955
HPI: 43.59
George Hunter
1927 - 2004
HPI: 43.25
Willie Toweel
1934 - 2017
HPI: 37.00
Newly Added South African Boxers (2024)
Go to all RankingsOverlapping Lives
Which Boxers were alive at the same time? This visualization shows the lifespans of the 4 most globally memorable Boxers since 1700.
