Lubhalwe nguLinda Ximba
UGerhardus “Gerrie” Coetzee, odlule emhlabeni esemzini wakhe e-Western Cape ngoLwesine ngemuva kokuxinwa isifo somdlavuza isikhashana, uzongena emlandweni wokuba ngowokuqala wakuleli ukunqoba isicoco somhlaba se-heavyweight.
Wahluleka kabili ukunqoba isicoco se-World Boxing Association (WBA) okokuqala ngesikhathi ebhekene no-“Big” John Tate ngo-1979 wabe esehlula uMike Weaver ngo-1980.
Wabuya esebukhali futhi enamandla emzamweni wakhe wesithathu wamangaza umhlaba kanye nosolwazi ngokukhipha uMichael Dokes emzuliswaneni weshumi eMelika ngomhlaka-23 kuMandulo ngonyaka ka-1983.
Kusukela ngaleso sikhathi waqanjwa igama elithi Boksburg Bomber, njengoba wayengomunye wabashayisibhakela abagqamile ngesikhathi samaqembu e-heavyweight abafana noKallie Knoetze noMike Schutte.
Ukuba umpetha we-WBA kuleli kwaba impumelelo enkulu kuCoetzee njengoba ngaleso sikhathi uLarry Holmes wayengumpetha womhlaba owaziwayo njengoba wayebambe isicoco se-World Boxing Council crown.
Ngesikhathi evikela isicoco sakhe sikazwelonke kuSchutte, uCoetzee wazilimaza ezandleni zakhe zombili. Ekupheleni kwempi yabo amagilavu akhe kwadingeka ukuthi anqunywe njengoba wayesevuvukele ezandleni zakhe zombili, kwaphinde kwadingeka ukuthi ahlinzwe kuzo zombili izandla ngudokotela waseGoli ngoMbasa ngo-1977.
Emazweni omhlaba uCoetzee wazakhela igama ngesikhathi elwa nowayengumpetha womhlaba uLeon Spinks emzuliswaneni owodwa ukuze awine isicoco se-WBA esishiywe nguMuhammad Ali.
Wabhekana noTate phambi kwezibukeli ezingu-80 000 e-Loftus Versfeld, okungenzeka ukuthi le kwakwiyimpi enkulu kunazo zonke emlandweni wakuleli, kodwa wahlulwa ngamaphuzu emizuliswaneni engu-15.
Ngemuva komzamo ongaphumelelanga wokumhlelela impi noHolmes owayengumpetha we-lineal champion,uCoetzee wabuyela e-Sun City ukuyozivikela kuGreg Page ngoZibandlela ka-1984.
Kodwa wamiswa ngomzuliswano wesishiyagalombili futhi kwathatha isikhathi eside kwaze kweqa kwimizuzu emithathu eyengezwa ngoba umgcini wesikhathi wayenake okunye wakhohlwa ukushaya insimbi.
Njengendlela yokumxephezela uCoetzee wenziwa waba imbangi yokuqala, kodwa wahlulwa ngesikhathi ebhekene noFrank Bruno wase-England emzuliswaneni wokuqala ngo-1986. Lokhu kwakufana nokuphela kwezifiso zakhe zesicoco somhlaba.
Ngemuva kokubeka amagilavu akhe isikhathi, uCoetzee wabuyela ekuziqeqesheni walungiselela izimpi ayezobhekana nazo eMelika njengoba kwakulindeleke ukuthi abhekane noFrancois “White Buffalo” Botha we-heavyweight. Uphinde wakhuphula kafushane owayengumpetha wezicoco ezimbili ze-weight world boxing champion uDingaan “Rose of Soweto” Thobela.
Isithombe esingenhla: UGerrie Coetzee eseringini
Umthombo wesithombe: The Mirror