Who was the better South African Heavyweight, Gerrie Coatzee or Frans Botha?

Sadly, the list of 'wouldas, couldas, shouldas' when speaking of heavies here is a mile long. Many had good ability, but suffered from a simplistic and narrow-minded outlook to the game and were never professional enough in their approach.
Ben Foord for one. No, he could never have been champion with Joe Louis about, but he was good enough, had he been really dedicated, to have been a top contender.
Instead, he's probably best known for losing to Baer and Carnera.

 

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Eh?

 

At least you had Would of's, Could of's and should of's; with the exception of Bugner; we (The Brits) had none.

While you were bemoaning a DuPlooy, Abbott, Knoetze or Schutte; we had Funso Banjo, Nevillle Meade, Davey Pearce or Noel Quarless!

 

Haha...but you also had Lewis!

 

By far, as though this question really needed to be answered, Gerrie Coetzee.

 

Coetzee easily, But the best fighter from AFRICA would have to be Samuel Peter.

 

No Ibeabuchi

 

If we're talking heavyweights, then Ike WAS the best, but the best FIGHTER, period, from Africa was and still is Dick Tiger. Jist splitting hairs here.

 

Well the proffesor Azumah Nelson might have something to say about that. Just splitting more hairs!:thumbsup

 

So size DOES have something to do with it, as well as genetic makeup of a giving locality.....Hmmmmmmm.......

 

Coetzee by a country mile.

He won the WBA title from Mike Dokes. For that reason alone, he's the best in my view.

He had skills to hang with the best of his era, and of course, a right-hand that pulverized.

 

If your asking me, I'd rate the South African heavies as follows:

Sanders
Coetzee
Botha
Coetzer
Duploy

 

Sanders defintley # 1!! he was a freak of nature super southpaw great fighter who couldn't be beat h2h! Sanders owned Duploy!

 

From an actual ability standpoint, Sanders may well be better than the rest of the lot, but definately NOT from a legacy perspective. I think Gerrie Coetzee defeated a larger number of good fighters than Sanders. Of course, nothing that Coetzee did surpassed that of Sanders' win over Wlad, but one win doesn't necessarily make his resume better.