Walvis Bay Street to be named after Simon

• By Michael Uugwanga

WALVIS Bay Mayor Trevino Forbes says legendary world boxing champion Harry ‘Terminator’ Simon will finally have a street named after him in his hometown. Simon became Namibia’s first world champion when he won the World Boxing Organisation (WBO) junior middleweight championship in 1998, a title he held until 2001. He also won the WBO middleweight title in 2002.

He will also be the first boxer to have a street named after him and the second athlete from Walvis Bay to do so, following Paralympian gold medalist Johanna Benson, who had a street named after her in Kuisebmund, Walvis Bay, following her gold medal win at the 2012 Paralympic Games in London.

Simon (52) has a record of 31 fights and 31 wins, with his most recent professional fight in 2018 against Tanzanian boxer Kaminjah Ramadhan, whom he defeated in the second round at the Ramatex factory in Windhoek.

He is undoubtedly the finest boxer to come out of Namibia, and it was no surprise to hear his former coach, (South African) Brian Mitchell, in 2020 say Simon is the greatest fighter he ever trained.

Mitchell, 58, trained Simon from 1996-2001 and won the coveted WBA and lineal junior lightweight title with a 10th-round knockout over Panamanian opponent Alfredo Layne in 1996.

Simon defended the title 12 times and never lost a title fight.

Although he is no longer active in boxing, Simon is expected to return to the ring by the end of the year or early next year against an unconfirmed opponent in an exhibition fight that will officially mark the end of his fighting career.