TWO FIGHTS: Michael Dokes vs. "Weaver & Coetzee"

Dokes was a bit dead in the Coetzee fight for it to be any sort of classic, but it sure was a dramatic upset by a guy who had become known for not being able to "win the big one".

 

The WBA must have had a hard-on for Coetzee. Especially considering that for a United States based organization to be doing business with a man from a country in political turmoil must have been a pain in the ass, yet they gave him some 3 shots at their title?

 

I'll give Dokes - Weaver a go from memory. An outdoor fight and I believe in the daytime? I remember a bright sunlight ala Cruz - McGuigan. Terrific fight which ended in a draw. I recall giving Weaver a slight edge myself How'd I do Mr. Bill?

 

Coetzee and Dokes were about my two favorite fighters at HW in that era, outside of Holmes. Dokes, had he laid off the drugs, could have been an ATG. I love watching his career highlights from an exhibition with Ali (which I thought Dokes did extremely well for only being 19) to his show down with Holyfield.

Coetzee, imo, was a victim of politics more than anything. He challenged Ali after Muhammad regained the title from Spinks, but Ali retired. Coetzee lost the WBA title to Tate, but came to get it back from Dokes who just won it from Weaver. Coetzee tried like hell to get a mega-fight with Holmes but it never happened. Coetzee ended up getting schooled by Page, and then he fell off the radar. I remember his last fight, I believe it was around 1998, and he fought Iran Barkley, and it was an exciting fight until Barkley's youth won over on Coetzee, who was trying to immulate George Foreman.

Page was another one, who was great, and had a long career. Its a shame he ended up the way he did. God bless him.

 

I saw the fight live at the Richfield Colisieum in 1983.

Both Dokes and Coetzee were in great shape and the fight was excellent. It was an upset but from round four on, you could just feel Coetzee's confidence getting stronger until he stopped Dokes.

I can't believe it was almost 27 years ago.

 

Bill I would have liked to seen Coetzee slug it out with Cooney. I would have also liked to have seen Weaver fight Cooney which was considered and almost happened. Coetzee and Weaver were both in some damn exciting fights in the early 1980's.

 

Dokes vs Weaver 2 was a fight the 1st one was a farce, stopped ridiculasly quick, I thought Weaver took the rematch but it was not a great fight. Coetzee Dokes was a matter of Coetzee putting it all together right hands and a new Jackie McCoy hook that he implemented. Dokes was fast and threw nice combo's but Gerrie countered and started to wear Mike down and find the success with the two-fisted attack. I had a feeling for Coeztee and I made good money in that fight as well as the Duran/Moore/Barkley fights but I dont want to tell you how many I lost.

 

Well I thought Dokes showed a ton of heart to make it all 15 against Weaver. I thought Weaver was going to ko him late with a brutal shot just like he did with Tate and Coetzee. But Dokes made it to the end but the guy was fighting on heart alone and fumes in the gastank.

Whenever those heavies have to dig that deep in a fight, I always look for a subpar effort in their next bout. That's what happened. I was surprised they took on Coetzee & would've gone after a non-puncher instead. Not a hitter though. But Dokes was not capable of digging deep like he did against Weaver and those reflexes were just not the same and never did come back. Sometimes guys have to pay a huge toll to win a fight and even in victory, the go down the ladder a few rungs.