DonJuan van Heerden doesn’t posture or pretend.
When he speaks, it’s with quiet conviction and a warmth that belies the warrior within. There’s no mask, no performance, just a 23-year-old fighter whose journey through boxing has been shaped as much by pain as by promise.
“I’ve had my ups and downs,” he says candidly, reflecting on a career that began early and got tough fast. At just 16, the southpaw took a loss to a 24-year-old opponent, one of several moments he now sees not as setbacks, but as lessons. “That was experience. That was growth. And now, I’m ready.”
He wants to put his last defeat, against Snamiso Ntuli, behind him, both for his sake and to prove to promoter Rodney Berman that he is worth the investment.
“I should have won; that guy’s not even in my league. I took the fight on short notice, but you can’t blame that. As a boxer you know that you need to be prepared any time of the day, any time of the year, any time of the month. If not, it’s gonna bite you in the arse. I take those setbacks as lessons and believe that I will put on a show on the 5th of July.”
At Emperors Palace he fights unbeaten Dean Promnick for the ABU middleweight belt; one step towards his late father’s dream of boxing for the SA championship.
His record has been forged in fire: fights taken on short notice, controversial decisions, and long nights spent pushing through doubt. But Van Heerden doesn’t hide from any of it. Instead, he owns every bruise and bad break, because it’s made him better. “I’ve learned I can’t take a backward step,” he says. “Even on short notice, I’ve never been knocked out, never been knocked down. I’ve got what it takes.”
Now, as he prepares for his showdown against Promnick, Van Heerden is calm, clear, and confident. Not cocky, just focused.
“He’s polished, he’s got momentum,” Van Heerden acknowledges. “But I’ve got the inside work. I’ve got the experience. I’ve got something he hasn’t faced yet.”
Though younger than Promnick by just a year, Van Heerden believes he brings an edge born of harder miles, not just in the ring, but in life. “I’ve got the youth, I’ve got the sacrifice, and I’ve got the anger. This is more than just a fight for me.”
At the heart of that drive is his late father Daniel, who was murdered seven years ago. He was
a proud man who believed so fiercely in his son’s talent, he used to say that the day DonJuan became a champion, he could die in peace. “He’s not here to see it,” Van Heerden says quietly. “But I know this is part of God’s plan. And I’m going to do it.”
This fight, he believes, is a turning point. A win opens doors. A belt puts him back in line for the South African title, one that’s eluded him before through timing and circumstance. “This is a step up. A statement. I’m showing that I belong at the top.”
He’s locked in. His weight is nearly perfect. The sparring has been sharp. “My camp’s been different. I’m faster. I’m more focused. And when that bell rings, Promnick won’t just be fighting me, he’ll be fighting everything I’ve been through. Every punch I throw is backed by sacrifice, discipline, and anger.
Still, there’s no hint of bitterness. Just purpose. “I’m not coming in arrogant,” he says. “I come from nothing. But I’ve just worked too hard not to believe in myself.”
Whatever happens under the lights at Emperors Palace, Van Heerden will enter the ring with something no opponent can take from him: authenticity, a warrior’s heart, and a legacy he’s still writing, one punch at a time.
