Gerrie Coetzee... underrated?

I dont think Coetzee looked that bad against Weaver, I did agree though he was tiring and pushing Weaver around.

I actually thought the Coetzee vs Weaver fight was one of the best heavyweight title fights Ive seen, full of action all the way through.

 

I never thought Gerrie Coetzee was a complete 15-Round fighter.

More of an accomplished 10-Round guy ---

Much like Jerry Quarry-- one who fades down the stretch.

The guy always seemed to tire quickly, and took a long time to recover after
exerting energy in those mid-round bursts.

The guy always seemed to have an 'exhaustive look' on his face.

1976 Olympics - He may have had a good enough jab, and quickness to go the
full 3-Rounds with Teofilio.

As for John Tate vs. Gerrie Coetzee

Knoxville News Sentinel

Septermber 29, 1979

John Tate will travel to South Africa next month, and again as an underdog, when he takes on Gerrie Coetzee
for the vacant WBA Heavyweight Championship in Pretoria.

'Big John' who stopped the South African favorite Kallie Knoetzee in June of this year, has no
problem taking on White South African Heavyweights as the underdog. Knoetzee who was the
#1 WBA-ranked Heavyweight and heavy-favorite was stopped by 'Big John' in the 8th-Round of a WBA Eliminator
bout in Bophuthatswana, South Africa.

In Gerrie Coetzee, 'Big John' will again be the underdog, and this time in Pretoria, South Africa where an
estimated crowd of 75,000 South Africans is expected.
The 24 year-old South African heavyweight and #2 WBA-ranked Contender, is famous for his 'bionic right-hand'
which destroyed former Champion Leon Spinks in 2-minutes earlier this year.

The Knoxville Heavyweight said, he has no problem travelling to South Africa, and John has shown no fear
entering the ring as an underdog and as a challenger in another fighter's home country.

 

I know for a fact that Coetzee despised roadwork. I have a comical photo at home of him huffing and puffing like an old steam train while doing a spot of roadwork.

He was an excellent eight round fighter. Beyond ten tounds, he was rather lacking. I think the shorter distance of today's title fights would have helped him a little in that regards, but nevertheless, he just wasn't an endurance guy.

 

Here are three good videos of fighters from SA. (Not my uploads.)
Includes a little bit of Jimmy Abbott, Coetzee, Knoetze, Mitchell, a personal favourite of mine called Elijah 'Tap Tap' Makhatini, Charlie Weir etc. Good viewing.
(Check out the left uppercut thrown by Brian Baronet...as good an uppercut that has ever been thrown. It's quite early on in the 1st video.)

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEllaPtMiVY[/ame]

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5QcCmik7bI&feature=relmfu[/ame]

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGfijv2agms[/ame]

 

This report says nothing about Vegas odds, let alone 9-5 favoring Tate. The ignorant sports writer (who probably knows nothing about boxing) merely labels Tate as an "underdog" in the upcoming match. Nothing more.

This article does not prove that Tate was the betting favorite from the fight. Far from it. In fact, the sportswriter is using the term "underdog" in very simpled-minded, over-general ways.

 

June 1979

Caeser's Palace Betting Book

Opening Line;
July 4, 1979-----------Even Odds
July 26, 1979----------Coetzee 6-5
August 25, 1979-------Coetzee 7-5
September 25, 1979---Coetzee 9-5
October 19, 1979------Coetzee 7-5