Gerrie Coetzee

Gerhardus Christian Coetzee OIB (8 April 1955 – 12 January 2023) was a South African professional boxer who competed from 1974 to 1986, and in 1993 and 1997.

To provide context: The first major boxing event in South Africa to change the face of sports in apartheid South Africa was the fight between Bob Foster and Pierre Fourie on 1 December 1973.

This laid firm foundations for racially mixed boxing in front of racially mixed audiences.

Coetzee started boxing professionally on the night of 14 September 1974, when he beat 19 fight veteran and fellow South African Christian Roos by a decision in four.

Coetzee followed his early success with a string of victories in his homeland.

Among those wins was one over Roos in a rematch, which Coetzee won by a knockout in three rounds; he also defeated South African Mike Schutt who had been casually considered as a potential gimmick opponent for Muhammad Ali.

Coetzee's other notable wins included defeating former world title challengers Ron Stander, Randy Stephens, and Pierre Fourie; a South African Heavyweight championship victory against amateur rival Kallie Knoetze (unanimous decision in 10) as well as a first-round knockout of former world heavyweight champion Leon Spinks.

With exception of the Spinks bout, held at Monte Carlo, the majority of Coetzee's fights during his early run were held in his native South Africa.

In the fight with Spinks, the former champion attacked Coetzee and pressured him, throwing punches from many angles and trying to steam-roll the South African.

Coetzee composed himself and, with a short right hand delivered to Spinks' temple, knocked down the former world champion.

Coetzee proceeded to drop Spinks two more times to record a first round technical knockout.

The win enhanced Coetzee's reputation as a real title threat in the post-Ali landscape of the heavyweight division.

Coetzee as the #2 contender was matched with John Tate for the WBA heavyweight title that had been left vacant by Muhammad Ali’s retirement.

The bout was held in Pretoria and in fact this event was the first time blacks were allowed into the venue (Loftus Versfeld).

Coetzee was the first African-born heavyweight ever to challenge for a world title.

The Boksburg Bomber fought a tentative bout and, after holding his own early, faded from the midpoint of the bout onward.

Tate won a decision over 15 rounds.

Coetzee would reveal later in his career that in his early fighting years, he struggled with self-confidence, particularly in measuring up to American fighters.

Coetzee himself was vocal in his opposition to apartheid.

The first multiracial South African title fights were held at the Rand Stadium in Johannesburg on 27 November 1976 when Coetzee defeated the top black challenger James Mathatho with a seventh round knockout in a heavyweight bout for the SA championship.

On the same card, Elijah 'Tap Tap' Makhatini beat white contender Jan Kies to become the undisputed South African middleweight champion.

Tate lasted only a short time as WBA world titlist, as he was KO'd in spectacular last-round fashion by Mike Weaver in his first title defense.

In the meantime, Coetzee had maintained his status as a highly rated contender by bombing out Mike Koraniki in the first round to keep his title hopes alive.

Mixed bouts between South Africans were legalised in 1977, but the last vestiges of the colour bar disappeared only two years later when the system of white, black and supreme titles was abolished.

The new title holder Weaver traveled to South Africa in 1980 to defend his title against Coetzee, fighting in front of a very large crowd.

Coetzee dominated the early portions, and had Weaver hurt several times.

In the 8th, Weaver was in serious trouble but Coetzee could not capitalize.

With the opportunity to finish Weaver gone, Coetzee seemed to wilt.

Weaver was beginning to time Coetzee's punches for counters.

By round 12 the fight was close to even, with the South African's lead having evaporated.

Weaver had survived Coetzee's onslaught and the tide had turned.

Coetzee's stamina failed him and he had begun to throw fewer punches after round 9.

Coetzee was now leaning and mauling more and was getting hit more often coming in with his unprotected head held high.

Weaver was accelerating and was getting the better of exchanges as the bout wore on.

He was the first African in history to ever fight for, and win, a world heavyweight championship, having held the WBA title from 1983 to 1984.

He held notable knockout wins against WBA world heavyweight champion Michael Dokes and undisputed world heavyweight champion Leon Spinks, as well as a draw with future WBC world heavyweight champion Pinklon Thomas and wins over top contenders Ron Stander, Scott LeDoux and James Tillis.

One of Coetzee's nicknames, "The Bionic Hand", came about because of persistent troubles with his right hand, which required the insertion of several corrective items during three surgeries.

His Afrikaans nickname was "Seer Handjies", or "Sore Little Hands", named so by fellow South African boxing great Kallie Knoetze.

Coetzee died of lung cancer on 12 January 2023, at the age of 67.

Coetzee was knocked down for the first time in his career and failed to beat the count having been floored by a big counter punch in the 13th round.