Harry"The Master"Ramogoadi

Born in Johannesburg (Hillbrow) family briefly moved to Soweto, but parents didn’t quite like it there, so we moved to the Northern Provence, where mum and dad are originally from. They had bought a house in a small township called Lebowakgomo. I was then permanently united with my siblings (my deceased elder brother, Walter, and older sister, Meldah) who were living with my Grandma in a nearby village(ZB).My Mum lived with us only for a little while as she had to go back to Johannesburg to work so as 2cope with the demands of raising 3 kids. My sister had the responsibility of looking after us with the help of a nanny or relatives, every now and then.In addition to the family, two of my younger brothers where born Tebogo and Lucky…Now allow me to tell you how, why and when I took up boxing…As a young lad I was always in trouble for fighting in the streets, despite being a friendly and lovely boy. One day after giving someone (who I wont name –for libel reasons) an ‘arse whipping’ I thought to myself …instead of always being in trouble for street fighting, why not do this professionally and get paid for it? eventually, of course. And I thought, this way at least I would be out of trouble, as I’d be doing it legally (I guess I just needed a reason to box – I probably just love/d fighting)Earlier though, as a high school boy in Lebowakgomo, I was more interested in playing softball (it was thought to be a sexy sport,,, you see) and also hanging out in street corners and playing rap music with my ‘break dancing’ pals. This was more appealing to me, than being in a small crowded class room and sweating it off.However, I should have known that boxing was always going to be my destiny, as I was one of those who would wake up in the early hours of the morning to watch fights between, greats like: Thomas Hearns, Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran and Marvin Hagler. My favorite at the time was Hearns, as I used to think Ray was cheating by heating and then hold. But at that time I didn’t quite understand the art of boxing, and now I am his number one fan “The Sugar man”However, I didn’t start my boxing until I was around 18-19 years of age, and that was when I finally moved back to Johannesburg.A few days after arriving in Johannesburg I found myself at Bra Norman Hlabane..s Boxing Gym in Bramfontain.I was amazed and intrigued, just by the thought of being in the same gym with boxing's big names (at the time in S.A) such as: David Potsane, Dingan Thobela and Peter Malinga, to name but a few!!! Whilst training at this gym I met a guy by the name of Keith Rass, (a former boxer, who happened to live in the same block of flats, where I lived) and we became a very good friend. He would now and then take me to another nearby gym and teach me a few moves, (I owe him big time) He used to call me “MASTER HARRY”, hens the nickname “THE MASTER”Around this time I had found myself a job as a waiter, hopping to raise funds for my studies (I wanted to study hotel management) but could not do it, it was too expensive, and the money I was earning was too little. It wasn’t looking good for me (I could not raise the cash I need for my course plus at the gym, I had started feeling that I was not getting enough attention, as Mr.Hlabane was concentrating more on the bigger names) so I decided to move on.I joined Nick Durant's Boxing Gym, in central JHB. He was training the likes of Jacob Mofokeng, Cassius Baloyi, Sugar Boy Malinga, Giovani Pretorious, Johannes Maisa, Lucky Lewele, Lucky Sambo and many other good boxers. This is where I feel that I learnt a majority of my boxing skills and discipline, as a boxer. Cassius was an exceptional boxer and I learned a lot of him, both in sparring, and just training in the same gym with him. He used to beat me up, Everytime we sparred,and I would go home with bruises and black eyes. Then came Philip Ndou, it got worse, he was beating up every one in the gym.I was happy though, as I felt that my boxing was improving and I was getting better everyday, plus I got myself a new job (with better money) as an insurance adviser, with Sanlam.The next year “1996” I would enroll at Technickon TNT in Pretoria, for a diploma in Marketing Management. I would travel to JHB at the weekends,on a regular basis from Pretoria, to do some training with the guys at ‘Nick’s Gym’.The year after, I enrolled for distance education with Technickon RSA, as I could no longer maintain my residential and tuition fees at TNT. I then moved in with my brother who was a Sanlam Property Manager, and had a large pent house in the centre of Johannesburg, which meant that I was nearer to gym and didn’t have to pay for rent.My studies were getting too expensive though, so I had to find myself a job. I then joined Standard Bank, and worked at one of their branches doing insurances once more. This was to help fund my studies and sustain myself, plus i was a father as well, times were hard.I was forced to juggle three things at a time, my studies, boxing and my new job. It wasnt easy but i managed, only just.My studies were shaping up nicely. As for my boxing…. I was being groomed to become the next best thing since Mohammed Ali, (wishful thinking that is). I was winning fights so easy, people had even stopped asking about results each time I fought “I guess they believed in me a little too much, haha!!!At this time I had left Mr. Nick Durant, something I never thought I would do as he was a good trainer. Something very bad had happened. Mr. Durant had made some racist remarks about Blacks and Jews, and was not aware that he was been recorded, and it was a big thing. The news had caused a very big outrage, and Nick started loosing boxers and everybody was shunning him. Most boxers including myself left him to form a new gym with his then assistant trainer, Elias Tshabalala. Things din't quite go well for Elias, despite having a good start. There were a lot of unhappy boxers and they left him one by one, some went back to Nick.As for myself, I teamed up with a young, ambitious and very, very energetic trainer by the name of Colin Nathan, a former TV presenter back in South Africa. I worked with Colin until I made my way to the UK in 2003. It was a great pleasure working with the guy, and I still train at his gym every time I am in SA. “top man he is”. You want to know more about my trip to the UK, how things turned out and how life is treating me since I have arrived in the UK, both in and outside the ring?Wait for my autobiography, which I am slowly but surely working on (it will be ready in a few years, and it will blow your mind) I will surely write a book about myself, because I have got a story to tell and frankly I believe everybody does have a story to tell,,, so watch the space...However if you wish to know more about my record as a boxer, please feel free to visit www.boxrec.com, and click on ratings (record is not so impressive though, too many losses, guess im useless now and too old, ha!!!ha!!!)As for my future plans!!!I am back in the gym, back to my proper wait, hand feels better and I shall be back and I will win a world title in the near future...Keep it locked on: www.myspace.com/harryramogoadi, for future fight dates, venues and results.……LOVE AND PEACE……
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.……..HARRY”THE MASTER”RAMOGOADI..…….