Until next time, keep punching.
Tribute to Aubrey ‘Rassie’ Erasmus’.
I was asked to pay tribute at the memorial service for the late ‘Rassie Erasmus’ this past week. I had known Rassie for over 40 years.
While listening to stories of Rassie at the memorial, of days in the air-force, the bowling green, building houses, I realized that each of the speakers before me mentioned specifically his love and passion for boxing.
Rassie was a six foot two, two hundred pound giant, but within the giant frame was a man of compassion, integrity, humility and a highly knowledgeable boxing man. A boxing man and a family man.
His family was everything to him, and his second family, that of the WBF, wasn’t far behind.
He refereed and judged for the Western Cape (Cape Town) boxing commission for over 40 years, and represented the World Boxing Federation with great pride and aplomb for several years, officiating in almost 30 WBF title fights.
He was always punctual, always smiling, always willing to help – and simply a huge asset to the WBF.
Rassie loved his boxing, so much so that after his retirement as an official, he would phone me every week simply to talk boxing and to find out how we were doing at the World Boxing Federation.
The WBF is known for having outstanding officials with dignity and professionalism. We say goodbye to a great man – a man who epitomized everything that is good with the WBF. A man of honor.
Rest in peace Aubrey ‘Rassie’ Erasmus.
Howard Goldberg
PRESIDENT: World Boxing Federation
