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Top boxing writer, broadcaster Bert Blewett dies

Cape Town - Former prominent boxing writer and broadcaster Bert Blewett has passed away in Durban.

He was 84.

Born in Durban on October 2, 1933 Blewett developed an interest in boxing as youngster and, although he never boxed himself, he was an avid reader of the Fight, which ran from 1946 to 1953 and, at the age of 17, had articles published in the magazine.

He started work at the offices of the South African railways after leaving school and then worked as an accountant before becoming a director at Intertruck.

In 1978, tired with the corporate life, he began writing articles on boxing and other sports for magazines like Outspan, Drum, Scope, Personality, and Spotlight.

With his knowledge of boxing he entered the radio quiz shows “60 000 To Go” and “120 000 Challenge”.

He also collected 8mm boxing films and was the South African representative for Ring Classics in New York.

Blewett reported and wrote many incisive articles for the Sunday Tribune and was never scared to express his opinion, whether it was controversial or not.

He was the editor of the Knockout, Boxing Beat and Ringside magazines before serving as editor of South African Boxing World, which later changed its name to Boxing World from September 1977 to August 2004. At the time it was a quality magazine and the longest running sports magazine in South Africa.

Blewett received numerous awards for his contribution to boxing and he was also a presenter on the television programme Bert Blewett’s Boxing Update.

He also published a hardcover book The A-Z of Boxing in 1996, which was subsequently released in paperback in 1999.

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