The heavyweights have truly played a major role in cementing the rich legacy of boxing in South Africa?
Over the years, the South Africa boxing landscape has been dotted with highly talented small and mid-weight boxers. These include, but are not limited to, Willie ?Wavy Haired Master? Smith, Vuyani ?Wonderboy? Nene, Cassius Baloyi, Jacob ?Baby Jake? Matlala, Thulani ?Sugar Boy? Malinga, Phillip Holliday, Dingaan ?The Rose of Soweto? Thobela, Vuyani Bungu, Thomas ?The Rock? Mashaba, Brian Mitchell (a member of the international Boxing Hall of Fame), David ?Baby Lux? Kambule , Gabula ?Slashing Tiger? Vabaza, Vic Toweel, Harold Volbrecht, Zolani Tete, Lovemore N?dou, Malcolm Klassen, Giovanni Pretorius, the late Mlungisi ?The Killer Shark? Dlamini, Simpiwe Vetyeka, Jan Piet Bergman, Bongani Mwelase, Tommy Oosthuizen, and Hekkie Budler. For others, see: http://www.southafrica.info/about/sport/boxing_champs.htm
In addition, six South African boxers have won Olympic Games gold medals. They were Clarence Walker, Willie Smith, Laurie Stevens, Dave Carstens, Gerald Dreyer and George Hunter. ?The statistics might have been more impressive had politics not prevented talented blacks from representing their country and if South Africans were not banned from the Games between 1960 and their readmission in 1992.?
Notwithstanding the above, the heavyweights have truly played a major role in cementing the rich legacy of boxing in South Africa.
1974-1997: Gerrie Coetzee et al.
Gerrie had extremely quick hands for a heavyweight. He won the National Lightweight Title as a 13-year-old amateur when he pummeled 16-year-old Hennie Colyn. In his 192 amateur fights, Gerri lost only seven, three against his arch rival and highly ranked Kallie Knoetze (who himself KO?d Duane Bobick in 1978 when Bobick was 40-1). As amateurs, the two sworn enemies met on six occasions, each winning three bouts.
Coetzee (aka the Boksburg Bomber and also known as the Bionic Hand) became national heavyweight champion at 21 when he fought big Mike ?The Tank? Schutte, who was disqualified in the sixth round for ?dirty tricks.? The ?Tank? had back-to-back wins over Chuck Wepner and Rodney Bobick
Here is the well-schooled Coetzee showing both his defensive and offensive skills as he blows away a swarming and bull-rushing Leon Spinks in 1979: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbuanlnI0Ss
Gerrie, who denounced racism and was supported by black fans, then became the first boxer from Africa ever to fight for, and win, a world heavyweight title with a stunning 10th round upset knockout of cocky Michael Dokes in 1983. South Africans celebrated till early morning hours all over the World. Gerrie Coetzee, a 5-to-1 underdog, became an instant hero not only in South Africa, but all over the world.
Coetzee finished his career with a record of 33-6-1. Among his opponents were the aforementioned Dokes and Spinks, Greg Page, Scott Le Doux, Renaldo Snipes, Mike Weaver, John Tate, Ibar Arrington, Randy Stephens, Ron Stander, and arch-rival Kallie Knoetze.
1985-1997: Johnny du Plooy
?Crowds paid money to watch his lightning speed, knockout power and his trademark entrance to the strains of Chuck Berry?s Johnny B Goode.??David Isaacson
Back in 1990, the exciting and charismatic du Plooy (who was the country?s biggest draw card in the 1980s) fought fellow South African Pierre Coetzer in a bout billed as ?Once and For All.? It turned out to be a classic as Coetzer came back from a horrific first round beating to stop Johnny in the next round. Previously du Plooy (a chill-or-be-chilled type) upset highly touted Chicagoan Lee Roy Murphy in 10. Among his other victims were Philipp Brown, Mike Weaver (by TKO), James Broad, Ricky Parkey, and James Tillis.
This is what Ron Jackson of Boxing News said about the ?once and for all classic?:
?On August 4, 1990 he met South African heavyweight champion Pierre Coetzer in a non title fight at the Sun City Superbowl in one of the most explosive heavyweight fights seen in South Africa. There was a lot of needle as both fighters came out throwing bombs from the first bell in what was believed to be the biggest money fight in South African boxing history. Coetzer was left bleeding with blood streaming from a cut on the left eyelid.
?In the second round du Plooy impressed as he jolted Coetzer?s head back with lefts and rights, culminating in a big right hand that sent Coetzer crashing down to the canvas. Coetzer was not that badly hurt and as du Plooy stormed in intent on a knockout he was knocked down with two vicious left hooks, one to the side of the head and the other to the jaw. He managed to beat the count but soon afterwards went down again from another left hook du Plooy managed to beat a the count but was in no condition to continue as future Hall of Fame referee Stan Christodoulou waived the fight off at 2 minute 46 seconds into the round.?
The six minutes of extraordinary violence was awarded the King Korn/Boxing World Fight of the Year for 1990: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvePGLbIFeI
Here is du Plooy with a frightening KO of Mike Weaver: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhhqbDjQhXE
The heavy handed du Plooy finished with a 27-5-1 mark and was more than willing to fight in his opponent?s home town. His level of opposition was impressive but his amazing amateur record of 196-4 was beyond impressive.
After his retirement, Johnny became obese and suffered from heart problems for years. Several months before his death at age 48, he had a heart attack.
As for Coetzer, he had his share of solid wins and retired with a fine 39-5 mark with three of his losses coming in his last three fights to Riddick Bowe, Frank Bruno, and George Foreman. Interestingly, he was 8-3 while fighting outside of South Africa.
1989- 2008: Corrie Sanders
?Sanders was born in Pretoria. A talented sporting all-rounder, he played rugby and cricket as a schoolboy and later honed a golf game to near-professional standard. His impressive physique and strength, allied to a natural athleticism, helped him develop an intimidating punching power from a southpaw stance, which made him one of the most dangerous fighters of his time.??from Corrie Sanders? obituary in The Guardian
?We were shocked to learn of the sudden death of Corrie Sanders and we want to express our sincere condolences to his family?We will remember Corrie as a great person both inside and outside the ring. He was a great fighter with a big heart who always positively represented the sport of boxing.??Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko who paid a personal tribute to Sanders, who died after being shot by robbers at a restaurant in northern South Africa
?The tragic death of Corrie Sanders was a sad loss to his family, the country?s brand image and to the entire boxing fraternity. That he died not rich, despite his outstanding career and significant contribution, is unfortunate. Boxers, managers, trainers, promoters and officials deserve a better dividend from the multi-million wealth of the sports industry. The boxing fraternity must revive boxing, which is very popular among our people. Corrie is gone, but his outstanding contribution will live on.??Thabani Khumalo, researcher, writer and commentator
Sanders, like Coetzee, had quick hands and plenty of pop. He turned professional in 1989 and in his 11th professional fight won the SA title with a first round knockout of Johnny du Plooy in 1991.
Twenty years after Coetzee won the WBA heavyweight title with a stunning 10th round upset knockout of Michael Dokes, South Africa had another world heavyweight champion. This affable southpaw shocked the boxing world when he knocked out the seemingly invincible Wladimir Klitschko early in the second round to win the WBO version of the title. At age 37, Sanders? biggest win was resounding. While he would soon would be savaged by Vitali Klitschko in a thrilling fight for brotherly redemption, that one victory over Wladimir rocked the boxing world and will be talked about for ages. Corrie?s final mark is an admirable 42-4. See: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6p6tn_wladimir-klitschko-vs-corrie-sander_sport
1990-2014: Frans ?The White Buffalo? Botha
?I am going right at him (Botha) and I expect him to go down cold. I expect him to die.??Mike Tyson
?I will cut Michael Grant down to size.??Botha
Frans is now long in the tooth and has had 63 bouts. He has been there and he has done it all in the heavyweight boxing world. Like Britain?s Danny Williams, Botha has had his highs and his lows and when he gave Michael Moorer almost more than he could handle in 1996, he was 35-0 coming in and at the top of his game.
In what should have been billed as a fight from the Wild Kingdom, Botha fought to a draw with the ?Black Rhino,? Clifford Etienne, and soon after retired but came back in 2007. In July of that year, he won a dominant unanimous decision victory over Bob Mirovic thereby winning the Interim WBF World heavyweight title.
Then, on February 6, 2009, Botha beat Ron ?Rocky? Guerrero by UD for the vacant WBF World title and successfully defended it against Timo Hoffman in May 2009 in Germany, winning by split decision. He won four in a row but posed little threat and eventually lost to Evander Holyfield in April 2019
After exposing undefeated Flo Simba on June 4, 2011, Frans met Michael Grant (47-4) at the Monte Casino in Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa. The fight was billed as ?Urban War? and what a war it was.
Botha was in solid shape as he outscored the much taller Grant and buzzed him in rounds seven and 11, but he began to tire late. Then, with just seconds to go in the twelfth and final round in a fight that Frans was winning on all the cards, he was shockingly knocked out in spectacular fashion by a long and thunderous Grant right hand?reminiscent of a Tommy Hearns? whip shot?that caught the South African on the sweet point of his jaw and sent him down and out. As he remained prone for several scary minutes, the crowd was in disbelief, the announcers were in disbelief, and so was I as I entered this thrilling ending into my Memory Bank for posterity. Cries of ?Oh my God? could be heard throughout the casino. It may not have been LaMotta vs. Dauthuille or Darnell Wilson vs. David Rodriguez, but it was close. Here it is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lrlme8PE64
A road warrior type, the Buffalo gained great respect in his losses to Tyson and Moorer when he displayed true courage and left nothing in the ring. Here is Tyson finally catching up to Frans with an incredible power-generated KO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7oXBqKUyxY
Like too many others, Frans has now stayed on too long and has become an easy notch for up-and-coming prospects. His current record is 48-11-3 and he has lost seven of his last eight. The writing is one the wall. Frans is no dummy and surly he knows that better than most.
The South African heavyweights were indeed an exciting, fan-friendly bunch of warriors who pulled off some big wins, but only one, Coetzee, has avoided less than a positive and financially rewarding ending and even Gerrie has experienced his share of serious issues. Yet in this respect, they differ little from boxers elsewhere. Boxing is an unforgiving ?sport? where there are seldom happy endings.
Ted Sares is one of the world?s oldest active power lifters and holds several world and North American records. He enjoys writing about boxing.
