Coetzee vs Page...

[Robinson]

I just watched this fight in its entirety. A pretty fun fight to watch.

Page looked slick at times and his hand speed was good. Coetzee
seemed as tough as ever though was just outclassed by Page.

My question is with the KO of Coetzee coming at 3mins and 50sec
of the round....what happened with the ruling on that one ?

Did they try to make it a no contest...?

Did they slap the ring timer around ??

Thanks again guys

[overhand_right]

The time keeper Lacky Scwartz had trouble with the time keeping all night and it affected soem undercard bouts according to Reg Gutteridge who was ringside.

The Coetzee camp tried void the result but the WBA basically took the stance that Page was clearly going to win anyway so the 4 min round didn't matter. Page was ahead & i think Coetzee had been down a couple of times already.

Very good fight though, Page was unusually spirited and 'up for it'.

[Robinson]

Agreed. I just watched the fight earlier today. Really enjoyed it.

[hhaehre]

The time keeper Lacky Scwartz had trouble with the time keeping all night and it affected soem undercard bouts according to Reg Gutteridge who was ringside.

The Coetzee camp tried void the result but the WBA basically took the stance that Page was clearly going to win anyway so the 4 min round didn't matter. Page was ahead & i think Coetzee had been down a couple of times already.

Very good fight though, Page was unusually spirited and 'up for it'.

Page, the most frustrating of fighters, showing glimpses of what could have been only to look so ordinary the next fight. Very sad what happend to him in the end. I think Coetzee was better than given credit for but always a front runner. Was there ever a boring South African heavy weight ?

[slakka]

Jackie McCoy told me Coetzee broke his hand in training (for the umpteenth time in his career) but refused to cancel the fight.

[My2Sense]

Coetzee definitely got screwed there, regardless of what "would've" happened. At the very least, the WBA should've ordered an immediate rematch.

[Robinson]

Agreed.

It amazes me that it is over looked as a controversy.
If it was in the USA I doubt that it would have happened
like that.

3mins 10 is a big era but 3mins 50...

[Flump]

Incredible really, Coetzee was given the number 1 ranking by the WBA afterwards but still had to fight Bruno in an eliminator, and got demolished inside 2 minutes.

[Robinson]

Bruno decimated him in that fight too.

Strange things happen in Africa it seems.

[Goodnight, Irene]

Only two Heavyweight champions in history have ever taken their crown to defend on the dark continent --- each overwhelming favourites, each beaten via knockout.

[overhand_right]

Dont you mean THREE?

Foreman, Coetzee and Lewis.

[Goodnight, Irene]

Dont you mean THREE?

Foreman, Coetzee and Lewis.

The legitimate, linear title? Only two.

[overhand_right]

Coetzee held the WBA belt that The Man, Muhammad Ali, had vacated in 1979.

Not Coetzee or Pages fault that for some reason Larry Holmes would just never fight a Michael Dokes or a Greg Page etc.

[Robinson]

None of the boxers fault because of the chaos and confusion
created by these governing bodies.

One works just as hard for a 'fake' title as they would for the
so called 'linear' title...just some never get that oppurtunity or
have the management to get them that linear shot. Or do they
want to play politics or pay sanctioning fee's.

[observer1]

Page; What could have been.

[dempseyfire]

I laugh at the notion that Holmes 'ducked' Page or Dokes . . .

[hhaehre]

I laugh at the notion that Holmes 'ducked' Page or Dokes . . .

Holmes would have taken them both on the same night. Page had the tools but not the heart, Dokes had neither.

[Collins2000]

I laugh at the notion that Holmes 'ducked' Page or Dokes . . .

Holmes would have taken them both on the same night. Page had the tools but not the heart, Dokes had neither.

[Robinson]

Would have been interesting fights though. I think Page would have given Holmes
the harder fight.

[overhand_right]

I laugh at the notion that Holmes 'ducked' Page or Dokes . . .

Holmes abandoned his WBC belt rather than fight Page. He fought club fighter Scott Frank and novice Marvis Frazier rather than get in a ring with Page, and he sure as hell wanted no second go against Tim Witherspoon.

What a champ!

[dempseyfire]

I laugh at the notion that Holmes 'ducked' Page or Dokes . . .

Holmes abandoned his WBC belt rather than fight Page. He fought club fighter Scott Frank and novice Marvis Frazier rather than get in a ring with Page, and he sure as hell wanted no second go against Tim Witherspoon.

What a champ!

And the reason he fought them was b/c he was 'afaid' of Page rather than b/c of ABC politics and his fallout with Don King . . .riiiight. Keep drinking the Larry Holmes hateraide.

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

[Flump]

I laugh at the notion that Holmes 'ducked' Page or Dokes . . .

Holmes abandoned his WBC belt rather than fight Page. He fought club fighter Scott Frank and novice Marvis Frazier rather than get in a ring with Page, and he sure as hell wanted no second go against Tim Witherspoon.

What a champ!

And the reason he fought them was b/c he was 'afaid' of Page rather than b/c of ABC politics and his fallout with Don King . . .riiiight. Keep drinking the Larry Holmes hateraide.

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

I have to agree, this is the same Page who had already lost to Trevor Berbick and would go on to lose to Withersponn, David Bey and Tubbs over the next couple of years. Holmes wanted control of his own career, that's why he didn't fight Page.

[Goodnight, Irene]

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

Not by much, & he never entertained the idea of a rematch --- something three other men in Kenny Norton, Mike Weaver, & Carl Williams --- could tell you about. Coincidence?

How many opponents who ran Holmes a merry chase ever got a rematch? Seems to me only guys who Holmes knocked over easily first-time around were afforded re-runs.

[dempseyfire]

Weaver went after Tate and the WBA belt after Holmes stopped him. Norton lost the title eliminator to Shavers and Holmes fought Shavers. Your acting as if Holmes was ruler supreme in terms of how fights got made. Imagine if Holyfield had gotten knocked out by Razor Ruddock after the first Bowe fight and the Bowe rematch never happened. Would Bowe have then been guilty of 'ducking' Holyfield??? How many tough HW title challengers who lost close contests were given IMMEDIATE rematches? Not many, especially once the proliferation of ABC belts.

Sure, I'll agree with you Williams deserved the match vs Holmes. But that was vs a 35 year old spent Holmes. Thet fact that the fight was close shows you what a peak Larry would've done to Williams.

[Collins2000]

And Carl Williams didn't do his rematch chances much good by getting KTFO in 2 rounds by an ancient Mike Weaver...