Sanders/Coetzee vs Morrison

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Best guess Sanders would be 2-0. Morrison 1-1. Coetzee 0-2.

 

Coetzee had a good chin & power Sanders as well for the most part, Morison the worst chin of the 3, Sanders (when in condition) was the fastest and Most dangerous, both would KO Morrison....Sanders-Coetzee could go either way by KO-TKO...close match-up

 

Morrison's chin, would have been tested at some point during the fight. It usually failed those tests against top tier talent.

 

Quite interesting matchups.

I feel Morrison was the best puncher of the three, but has the worst stamina, and that's saying something in this company as neither Coetzee nor Sanders were known for endurance either.

But Morrison's stamina was just really bad. He often hit a wall around the fifth round and his performances often dropped off badly when going past 5. Morrison had a 'thing' about the 5th round, and trainer Tommy Virgets once claimed that Morison never had a decent 5th round in his life.
That may be overstating things a little, but it's not far from the truth. Yes, he beat Foreman over 12 but generally speaking his endurance was crap.

Sanders' was a little better, but he was a front runner just like Tommy, and was by far the most dangerous in the first three rounds, again a lot like Morrison.
Coetzee also did not have great endurance but he is the most proven in this area for me, and the only one who has gone the 15 round distance.

Chin I'd give to Coetzee over the other two as well. None had granite chins, but Coetzee's loss to the hard-punching Weaver was as much due to fatigue as anything, and he and Page nailed each other with some bombs before he got knocked out. Coetzee also faced the limited but heavy hitting Kallie Knoetze and won over 10.

Sanders' chin is probably very close and he shipped some serious punishment from Vitali before being stopped, but the one-punch KO loss to Nate Tubbs does leave some doubt. Morrison's chin wasn't good, but I think his stamina issues sometimes makes it out to be worse than it was.
Still, I'd give Coetzee an edge over Sanders who in turn has an edge over Morrison here.

If there was one thing I felt Coetzee had a bad habit of, it was that he tended to rush his opponents with flurries, leaving himself wide open to counters. His lack of a really good jab meant that his range and timing were off sometimes, and it was only when Jackie McCoy hopped on board that Coetzee started to show a decent jab. Still, for the majority of his career, Coetzee's jab was found wanting.
On the plus side, he did move pretty well when he wanted to as was not shy of a gunfight and showed a nice punch variety at times.

Morrison I feel is the most well-versed puncher of the bunch. He really had a truly fantastic left hook and a very sneaky right uppercut in close. It was ironic when Lewis out-hooked him and beat him silly with the uppercut...two punches Morrison was renowned for. He punched well to the body and unlike the other two, was much less of a head-hunter.
Sanders by contrast had a rather slapping hook, but he had a beautiful straight left and I feel he is the best straight puncher here. Coetzee was known for his "bionic right' but his left remained relatively underdeveloped.
Overall, I give Morrison the nod over Sanders, with Coetzee lagging in third as far as overall punching prowess goes. All three had power, but Morrison has the best punch selection and mixed up his punches better.

As far as the fights go, well none will go the distance. All three were aggressive, had power and had poor endurance. Coetzee will find himself in the unaccustomed position of being the 'come from behind' guy here.
Morrison and especially Sanders were dangerous early, and a Morrison-Sanders fight would be a gunfight almost from the start. I wonder to what degree Sanders' movement, speed and southpaw style would bother Morrison? I wonder how Morrison's strength and left hook would be received by Sanders?
Honestly, I can see this fight going either way, and ending early. 50/50 fight for me. I'm edging slightly towards Morrison, but anything can happen.

Sanders-Coetzee would be interesting. Sanders is the better mover and has quicker hands, but like Coetzee he had a bad habit of rushing in, throwing leather. Could he bomb Coetzee out like Bruno did? I think there is a slight possibility, but chances are he wouldn't. That version of Coetzee was done and in his better days, was never laid out early or showed evidence of a poor chin.
On the contrary, despite the important advantages Sanders has, I think it would be he and not Coetzee, who would be in danger of an early KO. I believe his natural aggressiveness would work against him versus Coetzee, who for me had better stamina and durability, but with enough handspeed of his own to trouble Sanders.
They say the best punch against the southpaw is the straight right hand, and what did Coetzee have if not a big right hand?
I don't see an early KO, and Coetzee would have problems early on, but in the end I'd go for Coetzee to wear down and stop Sanders before 10. The first three or four rounds would be very bumpy territory for Coetzee though and Sanders would be a big threat in the early going.
But, never having KO'd anyone after the 6th, Sanders is clearly an early threat but statistically his chances diminish pretty rapidly as the rounds pass.

Morrison-Coetzee is another tough one to predict. Morrison would be the aggressor with Coetzee content to back off and counter, rushing Morrison here and there but generally playing Matador to Morrison's bull.
I feel Morrison would be more dangerous in some ways for Coetzee than Sanders early on. He has greater strength and a better punch variety than Sanders, even if he lacks the all-out blitzkrieg assault Sanders had.
I feel his superior fundamentals would be of great benefit to him, and he could bully Coetzee a little, especially in close.
Gerrie would be wise to box and counter and stay away from that big left hook. On the other hand, he could also put some hurt on Morrison who displayed a troubling lack of resistance to heavy shots.
It sound a little cliche'd, but if it ends early then it's Morrison by stoppage or KO, otherwise I'm going to go for Coetzee, the more proven fighter over the distance.


Another fighter that one could add into the mix just for fun is Cooney.

 

Morrison was just not that good, and both Coetzee and Sanders were erratic. Sanders has the best single win while Coetzee at least was the most accomplished, he hung around the rankings the longest, KOed Spinks and a peaked Dokes, drew with Pinklon and also may have deserved a decision against Snipes. He also did well against early against Weaver.

Morrison probably gets sparked by Coetzee and Sanders. Sanders and Coetzee is a toss up, depending on what type of shape they are in.

 

And red? Nah, these guys were not cut prone

 

Morrison and Sanders , skin tone aside had so much in common it's scary:nut, both died young around the same age 45, both had a left hand from hell, both guys were most dangerous the first 5 rounds, both had lousy stamina, and both guys were KOD near their prime in fluke losses to 2nd tier fighters, in Mike Bentt, and Nate Tubbs, and both guys as underdogs won their biggest fights against hof Foreman and Wlad Klitchko..
As far as rating the 3
1-Morrison
2-Sanders
3-Coetzee.

 

I think that's why the thread so interesting. Literally anything can happen with those two going at it.

 

Sanders over either, Morrison over Coetzee.

 

Thats freakin great!! :good