Big John Tate

I watched most of the available clips of the Weaver fight too, and yes he was an impressive physical specimen as well as a decent boxer. I'd like to see his fight with Coetzee someday if time and opportunity ever provides. As for what happened against Berbick, that fight is also on youtube. Trevor just nailed him at the right time. I don't know if it had anything to do with Tate still being rattled by the Weaver loss or what, but John was basically done after that.

 

I saw him lose to Noel Quarless... It was not pretty! The truth is he never got over the Weaver fight, and the Berbick fight totally blew any confidence he had himself.

It is a little sad that he choose to fight in South Africa in the late 70s, but he was clearly not without ability during the period beating primed Knoetze and Coetzee.

Took out Bobick inside a round and beat the dangerous punching (and then unbeaten) Mercado too boot. Tate was worthy of his piece of alphabet crap, and was rightly second only to Holmes going into the Weaver fight.

 

It really is a shame that he got careless in the Weaver fight. I guess we can sort of place that one in the same category as Chavez Taylor. Had he survived the final round, he might have gotten a decent payday against Holmes, as I've heard the fight was in the works for sometime in 1981. Also, he just couldn't stay out of trouble outside the ring. He was a drug user and a criminal which will **** up basically any career.

 

I agree completely. Tate was undefeated, a former olympic medalist, and a large fit specimen in the prime of his career. Tate was the kind of win that Holmes needed more of.

 

i think that Carl Williams and Weaver were not influenced by the drugs and did not seem to be out of shape when it came to fighting....i guess Berbick was also not a druggie...

 

I just hate it when a fighter becomes totally destroyed over one single KO loss........... That happened to Tate............. The KO loss to Weaver ruined Tate......... The follow-up KO loss to Berbick was the icing on the cake............ Christ, Ol' Tate fell hard and fast............... He was suppose to fight Larry Holmes in 1983; thank Christ that fight never took place........... Cheers.......

MR.BILL

 

I've seen the fight several times... Berbick slugged him with a few good blows and then punched tate in the back of the head as he was running away/Falling down.:huh

 

Wasn't Weaver known to be a weightlifter during training for fights? Which is usually considered a no-no. Worked for him though.

 

I think that part of his physique may also have been genetic, but in those days, yes. Excessive weight training was viewed as counter productive in training. Today, is a different story.

 

True most of the 80s HWS could have been long reigning champions with the right motivation. The 80s talent wise was the greatest HW era. Motivation wise it was the poorest HW era .

 

He was OK.

 

I think Williams developed a drug habit, that blew any money he had, to the point he became security guard to help make ends meet.

I believe Gerry Cooney's organization helped sort him out.