By: Sean Crose
For a short while there was discuss that the person would possibly interact in a significant heavyweight title struggle in opposition to reigning undefeated kingpin Larry Holmes. That bout by no means got here to fruition, however Gerrie Coetzee, whose passing on the age of 67 was reported on Thursday, was in a position to go away his mark on the game of boxing nonetheless. The previous WBA heavyweight titlist had not solely been the world’s first South African heavyweight champion, he had additionally resisted Apartheid at a time when a white South African wasn’t presupposed to do such issues.
“I really feel I’m preventing for everyone, black and white,” he had stated across the time he received the WBA heavyweight title from Michael Dokes in 1984. “What makes me joyful is for black, brown and white individuals to just accept me as their fighter.” The New York Occasions quoted Coetzee as saying “once I return dwelling, I’ll proceed working to assist individuals get collectively.’’ Coetzee discovered himself in authorized sizzling water when he adopted a younger fighter who the South African authorities had designated “coloured.”
Coetzee was to recall the time a police officer confirmed up at his dwelling concerning the matter. “You thought the policeman was utilizing a hammer when he knocked on the door… as soon as I opened the door he brushed me out of the way in which and went via the entire home. He needed to know the place the boy slept and the place he washed.” To his credit score, Coetzee stood his floor. “A couple of days later,” he added, “I used to be issued with a court docket summons, however I failed to reply, and nothing got here of it.”
As a fighter, Coetzee discovered himself attending to the highest the arduous manner. He misplaced title bouts in opposition to John Tate and Mike Weaver earlier than lastly defeating Dokes in a detailed 1983 battle. He subsequently misplaced the title to Greg Web page in December of the next yr. One in all Coetzee’s fondest recollections was being “known as to Nelson Mandela’s workplace within the early Nineties. It was overwhelming,” Coetzee stated, “as a result of the nation was getting ready for democracy and Mr. Mandela was main the way in which…it was a surreal second and he awarded me a medal. I used to be shocked to listen to that he had listened to radio commentaries of some of my fights whereas he was in jail.”
Mandela requested Coetzee’s firm on two different events. A film of Coetzee’s life titled Gerrie is reportedly near completion.
*quotes on this article have been supplied by IOL: https://www.iol.co.za/sport/boxing/boksburg-bombers-fight-against-apartheid-46583061
