Big John Tate

He became a good fighter and was ahead going into the 15th with Weaver but got caught, that fight ruined him. there were rumors of drug issues but the Weaver KO ruined him

 

Yes for 10-12 rounds Tate looked like the future of the Heavyweight division. I think it was the 13th that Tate landed a glancing straight right and and Weaver counter with a good left hook that hurt Tate, made him back off across the ring as Weaver pursued. I think Tate simply set too fast a pace for that fight. He was very fatigued going into the last round, so Ace Miller told him to stay inside and smother Weaver's punches.

After the devastating loss to Weaver, he came back way too soon to fight Berbick, whom was also too tough of an opponent for Tate's situation.

Damn shame.

 

Tate was used and abused.

I think it is sometimes forgotten how affective the sporting boycott of South Africa was in helping to get rid of Apartheid.

For Tate to fight there twice, deserves blame on both Arum and the WBA who disgracefully decided to keep on taking the blood money...

It is not often the WBC looks good, but at least they went along with the boycott.

 

Perhaps if Tate had done some research he might of thought differently. No disrespect to the man though, I think the quote has Arum's and Mendoza fingerprints all over it. As I said, I think Tate was used and abused (more than the average world class Heavyweight).

 

It's bad also that Big John couldn't read, at least that what Howard Davis Jr. was saying.

 

Don King opining about how he would never recognize any south african fighters, etc. He didn't seem to have a problem doing business with the South Africans and Gerrie Coetzee when he sent Greg Page to South Africa in 1984 to fiight Coetzee. It's always funny when a promoter talks about politcs when all they care about is the $. He was just mad Arum was getting all the South African's $ at the time.

 

That Stevenson ko loss was real big when it happened. He'd already suffered a brutal ko to Chapman.

I never liked Ace Miller and the guy was fed to the wolves early in his career. A road warrior in the heavyweight division and he didn't have 20 fights. Not what you would call a protected fighter, for sure.

That Weaver ko really blew out the candles on his career. 3rd brutal ko loss and he was probably out for 12 or 15 minutes via those 3 bad ko's.

He sure took out a dangerous guy at the time in Knoetze. Lots of folks picking Kallie to get the ko for that one. But he just took Knoetze apart and those sluggers just don't ever seem to come back well from being taken apart. And then, just as many picked Coetzee to beat him. Come to think of it, that 3 fight stretch of Tate's is/was a tall order for anyone; Knoetze in his backyard and 60k fans. Coetzee in his backyard and 80k fans. Next is a hometown fight but they got Weaver & not Lyle, like they wanted.

An old 1980 Ron Lyle was a much much better matchup for Tate. Some guys get the breaks and some do not. Tate was always the former.

 

Maybe Tate wasn't protected, underachieved or whatever, but his name is on the list of champions, and he beat some very good fighters impressively, and who can ask for more really?

 

John Tate probably should've fought a George Chaplin, or Larry Alexander-type fighter, instead of the brawling Trevor Berbick, in his comeback attempt.