When the information got here out that former WBA Heavyweight Champion, Gerrie Coetzee had handed at solely 67 years of age, on January twelfth, after battling most cancers, all kinds of reminiscences flashed by way of my mind.
Naturally I had been effectively conscious of who Gerrie Coetzee was a number of years earlier than he arrived to tackle Akron’s Michael Dokes, the WBA Heavyweight Champion, on September 23, 1983.
Having witnessed a number of of his fights on dwell tv or afterward tape made me effectively conscious of his hitting prowess and historical past in South Africa. I had seen him clobber former champ, Leon Spinks in a single spherical, battle contenders and fringe contenders reminiscent of Renaldo Snipes, Scott LeDoux and Stan Ward and draw with former champion, Pinklon Thomas. I had additionally witnessed him battle for the title twice, solely to lose to John Tate and Mike Weaver. I used to be additionally totally conscious of his medical historical past along with his damaged proper hand and consequential surgical procedures that finally led him to be known as the person with the “Bionic hand”.
Within the 70s and 80s I wrote for a lot of magazines within the US, England and New Zealand and for a variety of years within the Nineteen Eighties, South African Boxing World. Writing for South African Boxing World stored me in contact with their energetic boxing scene on the time.
As luck would have it when Gerrie Coetzee was given a 3rd crack on the huge prize, it was to be held on the Richfield Coliseum, midway between my hometown of Cleveland and Akron, Ohio. That’s the place my connection to Gerrie Coetzee took on a really totally different and rewarding twist. When the battle was introduced I had been in contact with South African Boxing World Editor, Bert Blewett. Bert requested me to come back on board as “Roving Reporter” effectively earlier than the Coetzee-Dokes battle. I loved writing options for him. So when he informed me he and Affiliate Editor Gary Gordon had been coming in for the battle, and requested me to be a part of the staff protecting the battle, I used to be thrilled to affix in. What I didn’t know initially was that roughly 1200 South African battle followers would even be arriving.
Most can be first stopping off in Atlantic Metropolis, New Jersey to do some playing and take within the reveals. Beginning in 1980 and for a number of years after I had been very a lot concerned with a neighborhood fitness center known as the Parma Boxing Membership. We had been situated a couple of miles outdoors of Cleveland within the suburb of Parma. We had been in a position to persuade the Coetzee staff to coach at our facility for the final week or so, previous to the battle.
Our earlier declare to fame was in 1981 when Roberto Duran completed up his coaching on the Parma Boxing Membership, previous to his comeback battle towards Nino Gonzalez. That is the place the story of Gerrie Coetzee turned totally different. We’d not simply be informal followers, or in my case a ringside reporter, as a substitute we had been in a position to watch Gerrie prepare every day and because it turned out, get to know him much more than we had ever imagined. I used to be requested by a number of members of the South African group if I may probably line up a couple of actions for the entourage whereas they had been in Northeastern Ohio.
For probably the most half, this was straightforward as a result of many had been greater than content material to point out up on the fitness center every day, crowding across the ring watching Gerrie spar along with his two foremost sparring companions, James Dixon of Chicago and Stephan Tangstad of Norway.
Nevertheless my buddy Don Myers arrange a pleasant outing close to their group resort in downtown Cleveland for lunch and different actions every day. I used to be lucky to have a connection at our native thoroughbred race monitor and thus was in a position to have a race named of their honor within the every day program on the monitor throughout their keep. It was introduced earlier than the race because the South African Boxing World Race and from what I heard everybody was shocked and appreciative of the acknowledgments.
Naturally Gerrie was very critical about his coaching and appeared in glorious form as he labored out every day. Fortuitously, he turned out to be very accommodating after the exercises and I used to be in a position to discuss to him one on one. When the topic got here up he made it very clear that he was not proud of South Africa’s Apartheid coverage and would do something to assist make a change.
Gerrie had fought a whole lot of black fighters, typically in entrance of racially combined crowds so I didn’t doubt his honesty. In addition to with the ability to get to know Gerrie Coetzee much more than anticipated, I totally loved spending time along with his South African coach, Willie Lock and Gerrie’s father Flip. Jackie McCoy, famed Californian coach and supervisor of 5 world champions, was introduced in to work with Gerrie.
His experience as a lower man got here into play as Gerrie was lower over the correct eye in spherical two and it precipitated Jackie a little bit of hassle to shut at first, however actually by no means was an element. The lower took seven stitches after the bout. I had met Jackie in California a few years earlier than and knew he was excellent and a category act.
At some point my sons got here to the fitness center and Gerrie and the sparring companions had been very sort to take time and pose for photographs. My youngest, Tad, who was solely three years outdated on the time, was each startled and thrilled when Gerrie picked him up and held him excessive for a photograph.
Because the battle drew close to, South African boxing promoter, Cedric Kushner took me apart and requested if I assumed Gerrie may beat Dokes. I had beforehand informed him I had watched Michael battle many occasions, particularly within the newbie ranks when yearly he gave the impression to be within the finals of the Golden Gloves. I merely mentioned I felt if Gerrie used his left hand extra, didn’t get proper hand loopy, he may outbox Michael. I don’t take any credit score for that, it was simply an opinion.
Nevertheless I used to be completely satisfied to see Gerrie did use his left to arrange his left hooks and proper hand bombs. The battle was thrilling and electrical at occasions. When Gerrie floored Dokes on the very finish of spherical ten, the bell couldn’t save Dokes and he was counted out.
When the battle ended the roar of greater than a thousand South African followers far outweighed something the a number of thousand locals may have mustered. As for Gerrie, the third time was actually the appeal. Gerrie’s spouse Rina and son Gerhard had been ringside watching this excellent occasion. I used to be completely satisfied that my buddy Terry Gallagher, who had been given the task to shoot photographs for South African Boxing World journal, caught many glorious ones, together with from the undercard of the present. His cowl shot within the November 1983 subject of the journal, captures the second the ultimate punch was about to land on Dokes.
This story wouldn’t be full if I didn’t point out one other superb factor that occurred following the bout. The following day, Saturday the twenty fourth of September,1983, Gerrie and spouse Rina, welcomed daughter Tana into the world. It wasn’t deliberate however Rina went into labor and needed to be taken to a neighborhood hospital in Cleveland after the bout.
Gerrie was a nice man, a troublesome fighter and I loved spending my temporary moments with him. I used to be very completely satisfied for him as not solely was he the primary South African to win a heavyweight title, he additionally was the primary to ever battle for one. Gerrie leaves behind his spouse Rina, three kids and 7 grandchildren.
Might he relaxation in peace.
