Coetzee vs Page...

[Crssbones]

The ruling should have been questioned in that fight for the length of the round. If not a no contest a rematch should have been ordered. As for Larry Holmes he was the best heavyweight of that era. He would have fought and beat Dokes, Coetzee, Page, Tubbs, Witherspoon again etc. His only fault in not fighting them was he was a business man first. It wasn't about the competition it was about the MONEY to fight the competition. He out priced himself to fight those fighters because for Holmes it was money first. He seemed to associate the risk to money and had a value on it. Had the price been right against the risk (in his mind) he would have fought and beat all the challengers of his era in his prime. He was also starting to age some at that time and was trying to make the most against the least risk. The fights he took in the latter part of his championship reign were probably hard to get motivated for. Those fights were just a day at the office. As for Spinks, Eddie Futch was missing and mentally for Holmes, Spinks was to small and would be crushed. The real factor was father time. Holmes would have knocked Spinks out in his prime.

[RazorKO]

Coetzee was not outclassed as most people seem to think. Coetzee outbrawled Page through out the most part of the fight and landed some right hands that would of taken out a few lesser heavyweights, but Coetzee turned to the brawler of the Weaver/Snipes fight rather than the boxer of the Dokes fight and Page took advanatage of this.

Coetzee was actually winning the 8th round and given a few more rounds would of likely started to trouble Page, but he was not given the opportunity.

[overhand_right]

BTW . . he legitimately BEAT Witherspoon, who would be the best Witherspoon who ever fought.

Riiiight, thats why the more objective than you Boxing Monthly writers listed Holmes/Spoon amongst their 10 most controversial heavyweight decisions list. Because Holmes 'legitimately beat him'

To say he 'beat him' he sure didn't want to get in the ring with him again.

[overhand_right]

Coetzee was actually winning the 8th round and given a few more rounds would of likely started to trouble Page, but he was not given the opportunity.

What, because Coetzee had such a great track record of fighting late? You need to re-watch your Coetzee tapes.

[BroughtonRulesRefuge]

Dont you mean THREE?

Foreman, Coetzee and Lewis.

The legitimate, linear title? Only two.

--- "Legit lineal titlest" ducked Coetzee, along with every other champ of that era, setting a new record as the most ununified champ in history.

Linear title eh?

Coetzee was hard done by because he was from South Africa like Brian Mitchell. Like the Snipes fight that he whoooped Snipes every which way. Larry picked Snipes up for his next title fight after seeing that figuring on an easy mark.

[Nile4000]

Holmes was ducking Page, even if he could've beaten Greg, he never entertained the task.Also, the way Greg was fighting that night, Gerrie would've still lost even if the knockout hadn't occured at that moment.

[HomicideHenry]

Coetzee was my favorite, next to Dokes, when it came to the WBA title holders of the 1980's. I wish Coetzee would have met Holmes in the ring.

[RazorKO]

Coetzee was actually winning the 8th round and given a few more rounds would of likely started to trouble Page, but he was not given the opportunity.

What, because Coetzee had such a great track record of fighting late? You need to re-watch your Coetzee tapes.

Coetzee hit Page with several hard right hands and was bulling Page around in the 8th, until Page knocked him out at 3:50 of the round. Coetzee was only slightly behind on the score cards and it looked as if he had turned the tide in the 8th round until the time fiasco.

[Robinson]

How cheated must Coetzee have felt/

[Nile4000]

In any case, they should've made an immediate rematch, which Page would've taken, and Coetzee probably could've taken on Holmes, or maybe Pinklon Thomas for a title shot.

[Robinson]

Agreed.

For all of his faults, I have never been bored watching Coetzee.

I would love to have seen him fight Holmes, it would have been
good for both men. I can see Holmes beating him though after
a game effort from Gerrie.

It would have been good for he and Thomas to have settled who
is better after the draw.

I also always wondered what a Cooney-Coetzee fight would have
played out like around '82.