His younger brother, Keanu Koopman, was crowned South African welterweight king last week and they are trained at Brian Mitchell Boxing Academy by their father Charlton, who is assisted by Vusi Mtolo.
“Everybody wants to be a gangster because there are no proper role models. Even where I come from in Toekies, drug abuse is very high and shootings have made it become like Westbury,” said Klassen.
“There are drugs all over Soweto, Tembisa and Alexandra, but it’s prevalent in coloured communities and I don't know what causes that. Could it be young boys are looking up to gangsters or it is boredom because there are no fitness training centres in their areas? I am not sure, but this is worrying.”
He said Shervontaigh is making them proud.
“He is on the right path to becoming a world champ. He needs all our support. I am happy there is a coloured boy who seems the right one to take over. I once said this openly but it sounded like I was boasting about my success,” said Klassen.
Malcolm Klassen blames gangsterism, drugs for dearth of coloured boxers
Image: Duif du Toit / Gallo Images
Professional boxing in South Africa is bankrupt without coloured fighters, says Malcolm “The Stone” Klassen.
Klassen is one of few coloured fighters to have achieved superstar status after he joined celebrated trainer Nick Durandt, whose gym and boxers looked professional because he had sponsors and had the backing of promoters such as Rodney Berman and Branco Milenkovic.
Jan “Kid Gavilan” Bergman, who is Klassens' homeboy from Toekomsrus, had to leave Bokkie Martins to join Harold Volbrecht to get an opportunity to challenge for the WBU belt he won in 2001.
Klassen blames gangsterism and drugs for the situation.
“Shervantaigh Koopman is the only coloured boxer I know of now,” said the former SA featherweight and two times IBF, WBF and IBO junior lightweight champion who will challenge IBA Intercontinental lightweight Tanzanian champion Saidi Mohamed Hassan in Tanzania on December 27.
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His younger brother, Keanu Koopman, was crowned South African welterweight king last week and they are trained at Brian Mitchell Boxing Academy by their father Charlton, who is assisted by Vusi Mtolo.
“Everybody wants to be a gangster because there are no proper role models. Even where I come from in Toekies, drug abuse is very high and shootings have made it become like Westbury,” said Klassen.
“There are drugs all over Soweto, Tembisa and Alexandra, but it’s prevalent in coloured communities and I don't know what causes that. Could it be young boys are looking up to gangsters or it is boredom because there are no fitness training centres in their areas? I am not sure, but this is worrying.”
He said Shervontaigh is making them proud.
“He is on the right path to becoming a world champ. He needs all our support. I am happy there is a coloured boy who seems the right one to take over. I once said this openly but it sounded like I was boasting about my success,” said Klassen.
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That was displayed twice in his illustrious career, when he befuddled St Clair and excelled against Baloyi.
Klassen has not boxed competitively since 2018, when he surrendered in round four to talented but inexperienced Azinga “Golden Boy” Fuzile at Orient Theatre.
He has told his new trainer Michael Sediane he would be approaching his fight with Saidi like his life depended on it.
“I told him I am going for street war because I won't win on points fighting him in his backyard,” said Klassen, who lost nine times in 45 fights.
“I intend to repeat what I did to Paulos Moses when I beat him badly in his backyard in Namibia.”
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Klassen, who defeated the Namibian on points for the WBO Intercontinental title in Windhoek in 2015, described himself as someone with a big heart.
“When my mind is good and I am focused, I could beat anyone on the night. I don't want a distraction when I prepare for a fight. One call can mess me up, and I am out of the fight mentally.”
Klassen, who is licensed as a fighter in Zimbabwe, said his fight with Saidi is dedicated to the revival of boxing in coloured communities.
In the golden years, there was no shortage of boxers from the coloured community and there were gladiators including Gregory Clark‚ Chris and Derrick Whiteboy‚ Aladin Stevens and Gerald Isaacs.
Bergman won the WBU welterweight strap while Ward from Westbury captured the Commonwealth flyweight crown.
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