Graham van der Walt, who won the South African bantamweight, featherweight, and flyweight titles when there were only eight weight divisions, is one of the select band of fighters who have achieved this.
The others are Watty Austin, Charlie Els, Ernie Eustace, Jack Everhardt, Jack Lalor, Thulani “Sugar Boy” Malinga, Anthony Morodi, Anton Nel, Enoch “Schoolboy” Nhlapo, Andries Steyn, and Arnold Taylor, with some having won the same title on three occasions.
Van der Walt has the rare distinction of winning the South African bantamweight and featherweight titles and then dropping all the way down to flyweight to claim his third SA title.
This was like one of the all-time ring greats Henry Armstrong (real name Henry Jackson), who won the world featherweight, welterweight, and lightweight titles when there were only eight weight divisions. He also fought to a draw for the middleweight title.
Not that you can compare Van der Walt to Armstrong, but Armstrong’s achievements would not happen today with the multiple organisations and weight divisions around.
Van der Walt was born in Pretoria on 15 March 1933 and made his pro debut on 9 July 1955 in Johannesburg, winning on a third-round knockout against Willie van der Merwe, and in his second fight he outpointed the power punching Denis Adams.
On 11 May 1956 he won the vacant South African bantamweight title with a tenth-round knockout over Jerry Jooste, despite the fact that he was little more than a flyweight.
Jooste had already won on a knockout against Marcus Temple one of the better South African flyweight champions, 18 months before.
Van der Walt was a snappy dresser and according to reports he was not always in top condition for his fights.
Graham was a good boxer/fighter and boxed from a crouch, which made it difficult for his opponents to work out, as he would bob and weave under his opponents guard and score with shots to the ribs.
Trained by Reg Higgs, in only his sixth fight he met Denis Adams again, stopping him in the eighth round to retain the South African bantamweight title.
After remaining undefeated through the first two years of his pro career he travelled to London where he met George Dormer, who stopped him in four rounds on 9 April 1957.
It was reported he attributed his loss as to not having enough time to acclimatise in London.
On his return to South Africa, he won against Denis Adams (tko 5), Ronnie Dean (tko 9) for the vacant South African featherweight title and retained the title against Pat van Biljon (tko 12) and Mickey Ravell (ko 2).
He now had the distinction of winning two South African titles.
After scoring a win over Boet Stander (tko 2) on 1 February 1958 he lost to Charley Els (pts 8) and then travelled to Paisley in Scotland to meet the more experienced Peter Keenan for the British Empire bantamweight title on 2 April 1958.
After a courageous performance he lost on points over 15 rounds.
On his return to South Africa, he heard that his manager Reg Higgs, had moved to Durban.
He followed Higgs to the coast and went in against the Spanish fighter Jose Ogazon in Pietermaritzburg, losing on a fifth-round disqualification, and a month later in Durban he once again lost on a disqualification and the SA title, this time to Ernie Baronet. He announced his retirement from the ring.
However, on 21 November 1958 he outpointed Ireland’s Malcolm McLeod over six rounds.
After this win he once again travelled to the United Kingdom in 1956, winning one and losing three.
In 1960 it looked like his career was over as he fought to a draw and lost to Eddie Ludick and in his last of 1960 Tiger Sheke outpointed him over eight rounds in Salisbury.
On 23 January 1961 he was stopped in the fifth round by Denis Adams for the South African bantamweight title.
After these setbacks he worked to get himself in good condition and on 3 July 1961 he stopped Boet Stander in the seventh round to win the vacant South African flyweight title, and a historic third South African title.
Travelling to the then Bulawayo he lost on points over eight rounds against Baby John
In his last fight on 29 October 1961, he beat Hennie Snyman on a second round disqualification to finish with a record of 16-12-3; 12.
He passed away on 18 July 2005 at the age 72 in Pretoria.