Former heavyweight champion dead at 67

1 year ago 70

Gerrie Coetzee, a erstwhile South African boxer and WBA heavyweight champion who defied immoderate of his country's racist laws during the tallness of apartheid successful the 1970s and 1980s and won popularity with Nelson Mandela and some Black and achromatic fans, has died. He was 67.

Coetzee died connected Thursday successful Cape Town conscionable implicit a week aft being diagnosed with lung cancer, his erstwhile manager, Thinus Strydom, said Friday.

Coetzee, who was white, was the archetypal African boxer to triumph a satellite heavyweight title. He knocked retired American rival Michael Dokes successful the 10th circular successful Richfield, Ohio, successful 1983 to triumph the WBA belt, a large upset that was celebrated passim South Africa contempt it being fragmented astatine the clip by the apartheid laws of radical segregation.

Coetzee's triumph besides made him the archetypal achromatic boxer to triumph a satellite heavyweight rubric successful much than 20 years but helium made wide aft the combat against Dokes however overmuch helium disliked being labeled “the large achromatic hope.”

“I consciousness I americium warring for everybody, Black and white," Coetzee said. "What makes maine blessed is for Black, brownish and achromatic radical to judge maine arsenic their fighter.”

They did successful South Africa and Coetzee was awarded the The Order of Ikhamanga successful Bronze successful 2003 by South Africa's democratically-elected post-apartheid authorities for his boxing occurrence and for his publication to “nation-building done sport."

The authorities said millions of Black South Africans rooted for Coetzee during his career, “thereby confounding the mendacious logic of apartheid.”

Coetzee said 1 of his astir treasured moments came erstwhile Mandela, a large boxing fan, asked to conscionable him successful the aboriginal 1990s. Mandela, who would go South Africa's archetypal democratically-elected president successful 1994, had conscionable been released from situation aft 27 years for warring against apartheid.

“It was overwhelming due to the fact that the state was preparing for ideology and Mr. Mandela was starring the way,” Coetzee said. “It was a surreal infinitesimal and helium awarded maine a medal. I was amazed to perceive that helium had listened to vigor commentaries of a fewer of my fights portion helium was successful prison.”

At a aboriginal gathering with Mandela, Coetzee wanted to springiness the Nobel Peace Prize victor a acquisition successful instrumentality and chose a medal that helium had antecedently been awarded by the apartheid government. Mandela didn't adjacent flinch erstwhile helium learned wherever the medal came from, Coetzee said, and graciously accepted the gift.

“It didn’t look to fuss Mr. Mandela ... He saw it arsenic a acquisition from maine and I was grateful for that,” Coetzee said.

Coetzee yet won the heavyweight rubric connected his 3rd effort aft losing to John Tate successful 1979 successful a combat for the WBA loop made vacant by Muhammad Ali's retirement. Coetzee besides mislaid a 2nd WBA rubric changeable erstwhile helium challenged Mike Weaver successful 1980 and was stopped successful the 13th round.

Coetzee had stopped erstwhile undisputed heavyweight champion Leon Spinks successful the archetypal circular successful Monaco successful 1979 successful his archetypal combat extracurricular South Africa, making the satellite alert of his ability. But it took him different 4 years to triumph a title.

Coetzee’s triumph implicit Dokes for the WBA rubric came astatine a price. He broke his close manus earlier successful the combat but inactive managed to sound retired Dokes with a bid of rights, his manager said. He needed country soon after.

Coetzee had persistent wounded problems with that potent close manus and it was operated connected galore times passim his career, starring South African heavyweight rival Kallie Knoetze to springiness Coetzee the nickname “Sore Little Hands." Coetzee was besides sometimes called “The Bionic Hand."

His main nickname, though, was the "Boksburg Bomber" successful notation to his working-class location municipality adjacent Johannesburg. Coetzee's archetypal nonrecreational combat was successful 1974, and helium often fought against Black fighters successful South Africa successful beforehand of racially-mixed crowds. He appointed a South African antheral of Indian practice to beryllium his media spokesman, which besides angered the apartheid government.

In the 1980s, Coetzee agreed to bid a young Black combatant and invited him to enactment with him successful his location successful defiance of strict apartheid laws astatine the clip that outlawed Blacks surviving successful the aforesaid neighborhoods arsenic whites.

Police searched Coetzee's location and issued him with a tribunal summons due to the fact that of it. Coetzee said helium ignored the summons and legally adopted the boy, whose parents had died.

Coetzee fought 40 times, with 33 wins (21 by knockout), six losses and a draw.

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