Gerrie Coetzee (L), preventing Michael Dokes in 1983 for the WBA heavyweight title, died Thursday in South Africa at 67. (Photo by Getty Images)
Gerrie Coetzee, a hard-punching South African who received a share of the heavyweight champion in 1983 when he knocked out Michael “Dynamite” Dokes, died Thursday following a brief battle with most cancers. His daughter, Lana, confirmed his dying at 67.
Coetzee, who was 33-6-1 with 21 knockouts in a profession that ran from 1974 by 1997, had his profession spotlight in Richfield, Ohio, on Sept. 23, 1983, when he knocked Dokes out late within the tenth spherical. Coetzee had dropped Dokes within the fifth, after which completed him with two rights within the tenth.
Coetzee stated after the battle he had a hand harm and possibly wouldn’t have been in a position to make use of his proper over the ultimate 5 rounds. In his profession, Coetzee underwent a staggering 23 hand surgical procedures.
Coetzee hit a surprised Dokes with back-to-back straight proper arms. Dokes when down face first after the second shot, however grabbed a rope. As Coetzee went to a impartial nook, he prayed as referee Tony Perez tolled the depend.
As Dokes struggled to get to his toes, Coetzee stated to himself, “It’s damaged once more.” As Dokes grabbed on the rope, Coetzee stated he prayed, “Please, God, do not let him stand up.” At that stage, he already had had 15 hand surgical procedures and felt he did not have an opportunity in lots of the fights he’d misplaced due to his quite a few surgical procedures.
Coetzee misplaced the title to Greg Page in his first protection on Dec. 1, 1984, and by no means held the belt once more. But Coetzee had fought many of the massive names of his period. He debuted solely six weeks earlier than Muhammad Ali surprised George Foreman to win the title, and retired in 1997 when Evander Holyfield was champion.
Coetzee first fought for the WBA title in 1979 when he misplaced a 15-round choice to “Big” John Tate. He was knocked out within the thirteenth of his second bid for the title by Mike Weaver on Oct. 25, 1980. He received the title from Dokes in 1983 however after dropping it to Page, he by no means fought for a world championship once more.
But Coetzee fought lots of the massive names of the Nineteen Seventies and Eighties in an period loaded with terrific heavyweights. In addition to Dokes, Tate, Weaver and Page, he additionally met former heavyweight champions Leon Spinks, Pinklon Thomas and Frank Bruno in non-title fights.
Coetzee retired after dropping to Bruno in 1986, and was out of the game for greater than seven full years. He got here again in 1993 and had 4 fights, ending with a TKO loss to Iran Barkley in 1997.
