I'll be the first to admit that I was never a fan of the guy as a person, he utilized a lot of bad tactics, but I won't spoil the day. He was a good boxer with plenty of speed and power, he beat and lost to the best of the 80s, and he fought actively. Not somebody that avoided fights too much. His fights with Mike Weaver, Pinklon Thomas, Michael Dokes, Greg Page, and Renaldo Snipes are classics. Always an exciting fighter he was. I hope he indeed is in heaven.
What did he do as a person that ruffled you? He was anti-apartheid. Black and white South African boxing fans loved him.
Particularly in the Weaver fight he roughed Weaver up against the ropes excessively and wouldn't let go of the ropes. In the Tate fight he repeatedly slipped on purpose cuz he was getting whipped.
Very sad. he had some underrated wars versus Mike Weaver and Michael Dokes. And his management milked us (at least me, I was 11) with those tales of a bionic, super powerful right hand! LOL
His legacy is a complex one. He live in apartheid South Africa, and I think that he broke the white heavyweight champion drought? Assuming that it needed breaking. I think that I am right in saying, that he was the first white heavy to hold a version of the title, after Johansen. Either way he was a fine man, and he will be missed, so let's take a look at some rankings. 1983 Larry Holmes, Champion This content is protected Greg Page Michael Dokes Pinklon Thomas Tim Witherspoon Mike Weaver David Bey John Tate Trevor Berbick Frank Bruno