Physically, Schutte Junior resembles a fighter more than his dad ever did because “The Tank” was built like “Two Ton” Tony Galento but let's not forget that Galento made it all the way to a shot at Joe Louis (and even floored Louis, for which he was half-killed) and Schutte was desperately close to a crack at Muhammad Ali in the 1970s until Ali baulked at going into Schutte's South Africa in the seemingly endless days of Apartheid, then ruled it out completely.
For all his physical limitations, Schutte was an underrated performer who knew how to get inside and soften up his opponents and he fought in a golden era in South Africa for heavyweight boxing that included the sullen, menacing, arrogant likes of Gerrie Coetzee, Kallie Knoetze and Jimmy Richards – all of whom he fought – but his reputation is marred by a notorious brawl with Coetzee in Durban in August 1976 which is regarded as the dirtiest fight in South African boxing history and probably one of the dirtiest fights of all time.
Schutte, with 38 fights behind him, sauntered out as if expecting an easy ride against the 12-fight Coetzee and he walked into Coetzee's very first punch, a big right hand (later known as his 'bionic' hand), that dropped him and continued to drop him in the first two rounds – it was like Johansson-Patterson all over again, with Schutte down six times before the bell saved him on both occasions. He managed to rally a little in the third as his head cleared and amazingly, he pulled out a big right to floor Coetzee in the fourth, although Coetzee sensibly stayed down for eight and still looked strong. Perhaps sensing this, perhaps desperate, perhaps concussed, Schutte suddenly lost control and resorted to the darker boxing arts and everything went in: kidney punches, rabbit punches, punches after the bell, butts, elbows, knees, thumbs... Referee Bob Mazzoni tried to stay in control, “I'm warning you both to stop fouling,” he insisted. “If he fouls me I'm going to foul him back,” barked Coetzee. “Don't be a fool,” said Mazzoni. Coetzee was at least acknowledging the referee and appealed, “This is not boxing,” but Schutte was in a world of his own and for him there was no turning back. Mazzoni visited both corners after the fifth and warned that he would declare a no-contest if the fouling went on. Seconds into the sixth, Schutte wrestled Coetzee to the ground, then took a kick at him and the referee finally slung him out. The 12,000 crowd booed Schutte from the ring and cheered Coetzee, who had arrived as a real heavyweight threat.
Despite initial outrage, Schutte kept his boxing licence and he bounced back with good wins over Rodney Bobick and Chuck Wepner, while Coetzee also scored big wins over Knoetze and Pierre Fourie. The stage was set for a second confrontation and this time it went smoothly, to a collective sigh of relief from the South African boxing fraternity, as Coetzee boxed surprisingly well to outscore Schutte over 12 rounds in Johannesburg in April 1977. Later, Coetzee revealed he had broken both his hands on Schutte's hard head and had no option but to box. Hand problems would plague him for the rest of his career.
Schutte's own career in top-flight ended with a second-round knockout at the hands of the gigantic Knoetze in August 1977 but he fought on for a couple of years and finished with a win over our own Neil Malpass. Outside the ring, Schutte was a gentleman and immensely popular in South Africa and he made a living as a comedian and an actor after hanging up the gloves, and also did a spot of wrestling.
