What If ? Weaver - Coetzee 2

[jj5000]

It's 1984, and Coetzee is defending his newly won title against Mike Weaver in a rematch of their 1980 bout. Who wins ?

[Brutu]

Im convinced that Mike Weaver's seconds had used some kind of stimulate in that fight.
Maybe anthisitmins.

[witherspoon]

Coetzee could not beat Mike Weaver in SA, getting a free pass from the ref for the entire fight and trying to wear Weaver out by hugging him to death.
Weaver showed some brains in that fight, did not try to outmuscle the physically stronger guy while being wrestled and leaned on, nearly pushed clean over the top rope on two occassions, he just went with it, and it was Coetzee who ended up gassed.
Coetzee might do better in a rematch if it was in the states, he would have to box, knowing he won't get away with illegal shit.

[RazorKO]

Coetzee of the Dokes fight comfortably outpoints Weaver or stops him late.

[Nile4000]

Weaver would lose by late round stoppage, or decision.Gerrie too much for him at this point.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

Coetzee could not beat Mike Weaver in SA, getting a free pass from the ref for the entire fight and trying to wear Weaver out by hugging him to death.
Weaver showed some brains in that fight, did not try to outmuscle the physically stronger guy while being wrestled and leaned on, nearly pushed clean over the top rope on two occassions, he just went with it, and it was Coetzee who ended up gassed.
Coetzee might do better in a rematch if it was in the states, he would have to box, knowing he won't get away with illegal shit.

Coetzee was stronger than Hercules?

[MEISINGER]

mike weavers biggest problem was being mike.
weaver had to of been the most gentle man to ever
hold a title in any division.
he was a slow starter and never got his rythm until he was hit good.

i interviewed weaver for a radio show several years ago
i can not tell you how nice this guy was.
he only stuck to boxing because it payed well.those are his words.

weaver needed a killer instinct and most of his losses would of
turned to wins.

[witherspoon]

Coetzee could not beat Mike Weaver in SA, getting a free pass from the ref for the entire fight and trying to wear Weaver out by hugging him to death.
Weaver showed some brains in that fight, did not try to outmuscle the physically stronger guy while being wrestled and leaned on, nearly pushed clean over the top rope on two occassions, he just went with it, and it was Coetzee who ended up gassed.
Coetzee might do better in a rematch if it was in the states, he would have to box, knowing he won't get away with illegal shit.

Coetzee was stronger than Hercules?

Wether or not Coetzee was stronger than Mike Weaver, I could not claim to know, but having watched the fight i will say without hesitation that Coetzee was the bully, and Weaver the bullied.

mike weavers biggest problem was being mike.
weaver had to of been the most gentle man to ever
hold a title in any division.
he was a slow starter and never got his rythm until he was hit good.

i interviewed weaver for a radio show several years ago
i can not tell you how nice this guy was.
he only stuck to boxing because it payed well.those are his words.

weaver needed a killer instinct and most of his losses would of
turned to wins.

This makes so much sense out my interpretation of the fight with Coetzee. While Angelo Dundee, doing commentary was screaming for Coetzee to be dq'ed, and while his corner was screaming at the ref to do his job, Weaver was the calmest person in the ring. What I took for ring savvy might have just been Weaver being passive in the face of Coetzee's tactics, but it worked all the same.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

I watched the fight live too, and since then. I don't equate holding to being stronger.

[witherspoon]

I watched the fight live too, and since then. I don't equate holding to being stronger.

But when did you last watch this fight in full? Having watched it a couple of weeks ago, my impression was that Coetzee was doing pretty much as he pleased with Weaver. I said that Coetzee was hugging Weaver to death, wrestling would be a more appropriate term for what was going on. Coetzee was using his size and strenghth to try and wear Weaver out, trapping Weaver on the ropes by grabbing the top rope with each hand and leaning on Weaver with his bodyweight.
Maybe I was mistaken to say that Coetzee was stronger, but he was the one using his physical strength to dictate the fight while Weaver just let things play out. At no point did I see him try to resist Coetzee's physicality.
(I did not watch the fight live, I was 4 years old, saw it for the first time a few days ago and really enjoyed it).

[SaadOffTheDeck]

I've seen it enough to know that I disagree that Gerrie had the edge in physical strength. I thought he was ahead before he gassed and I definitely agree that Mike was letting him do the rough stuff in tight.

Weaver took everything Coetzee could offer in, I think it was, the eighth round and that got to him mentally. It was a great fight, the last time I watched it was probably a couple years back when I did a 100 greatest fights list.

Have you ever seen Caveman Lee vs John LoCicero?

[witherspoon]

Yes, I remember reading your famous list of greatest fights, I'm not the only one on these boards who thought they were brilliant.
(I'm assuming that they have been lost in the clearout, if so, thats a damn shame, maybe you could put them back up?)

I have not seen Caveman v LoCicero, I know enough that it's on my list of fights to watch and luckily for me I don't know the result so I'm steering clear of all discussion until I get to see it (which won't be soon, watching heavyweights from Louis through to Klitschko's at the moment, currently at 1982).

edit : on Lee v LoCicero, I recently re-aquired a copy of the Boxing Illustrated special end of the decade edition from 1989, which I remember almost page for page and word for word, it never left my side for about three weeks and then only when it practically fell apart. Well, after almost 15 years I am now reunited with this childhood relic and I can only handle it very carefully, in case I learn the result of old fights that I have yet to see!

[SaadOffTheDeck]

Thanks, that has also been purged from the archives of the site I used to write for and I never save anything I write.

I'd advise bumping that one up, it's absolutely incredible.