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 types 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 resembling 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 ultimately 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 lot of years within the Eighties, South African Boxing World. Writing for South African Boxing World stored me in contact with their lively boxing scene on the time.
As luck would have it when Gerrie Coetzee was given a 3rd crack on the massive 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 completely 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 advised me he and Affiliate Editor Gary Gordon have been coming in for the battle, and requested me to be a part of the staff overlaying the battle, I used to be thrilled to hitch in. What I didn’t know initially was that roughly 1200 South African battle followers would even be arriving.
Most could 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 an area health club known as the Parma Boxing Membership. We have been situated just a few miles outdoors of Cleveland within the suburb of Parma. We have 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 completely different. We might now not simply be informal followers, or in my case a ringside reporter, as an alternative we have 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 might probably line up just a few actions for the entourage whereas they have been in Northeastern Ohio.
For essentially the most half, this was simple as a result of many have been greater than content material to indicate up on the health club every day, crowding across the ring watching Gerrie spar along with his two major sparring companions, James Dixon of Chicago and Stephan Tangstad of Norway.
Nevertheless my pal 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 day by 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 severe about his coaching and appeared in glorious form as he labored out every day. Thankfully, 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 pleased with South Africa’s Apartheid coverage and would do something to assist make a change.
Gerrie had fought plenty 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 reduce man got here into play as Gerrie was reduce over the fitting eye in spherical two and it brought about Jackie a little bit of hassle to shut at first, however actually by no means was an element. The reduce 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.
Sooner or later my sons got here to the health club and Gerrie and the sparring companions have been very form to take time and pose for images. 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 believed Gerrie might beat Dokes. I had beforehand advised him I had watched Michael battle many occasions, particularly within the novice ranks when yearly he gave the impression to be within the finals of the Golden Gloves. I merely stated I felt if Gerrie used his left hand extra, didn’t get proper hand loopy, he might outbox Michael. I don’t take any credit score for that, it was simply an opinion.
Nevertheless I used to be pleased 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 might have mustered. As for Gerrie, the third time was actually the allure. Gerrie’s spouse Rina and son Gerhard have been ringside watching this excellent occasion. I used to be pleased that my pal Terry Gallagher, who had been given the project to shoot images 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 concern 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 wonderful factor that occurred following the bout. The subsequent 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 an area hospital in Cleveland after the bout.
Gerrie was a nice man, a tricky fighter and I loved spending my temporary moments with him. I used to be very pleased 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 youngsters and 7 grandchildren.
Might he relaxation in peace.
