INKAKHA yesibhakela engasekho, uGerrie “Boksburg Bomber” Coetzee, yaba ngumshayisibhakela wokuqala wase-Afrika esigabeni sosondonzima ukunqoba isicoco seWorld Boxing Association (WBA) ngokuguqisa ngomngqimuzo womlalisa phansi, uMichael Dokes wase-USA ngoSepthemba ka-1983.
UCoetzee udlule emhlabeni ngoLwesine, eKapa, ngemuva kokugula isikhashana exinwe wumdlavuza wesibindi eseneminyaka engu-67 ubudala.
Cishe impi yalo sondonzima esekude ukulibaleka kubathandi besibhakela baseNingizimu Afrika yilapho agingqa khona uDokes empini yemizuliswano engu-15 eyayilwa eRichfield Coliseum, e-Ohio, ngoSepthemba 23 ka-1983.
Ngenkathi kukhala igongo yokumisa impi lapho uDokes eseshaye amankeyane ngemuva kodalimede bezibhakela zikaCoetzee, uCoetzee wayesevele eqengqeleza phambili ngamaphuzu ngokwezibalo zamajaji ayejaja ale mpi yodumo.
Ukunqoba kukaCoetzee kuleyo mpi kwachazwa yiphephabhuku elihlonishwayo lesibhakela, iRing Magazine, njengento eshaqisayo onyakeni ka-1983 esibhakeleni.
Okumangazayo ngokugingqwa kukaDokes nguCoetzee ngodalimede bezibhakela zesandla sokudla ayezidedela zilandelana, wukuthi isandla sakhe (uCoetzee) sakwesokudla sagcina siphuka, okwadingeka ukuthi ngemuva kwezinsuku ezinhlanu ezalandela ngemuva kwaleyo mpi, lo mshayisibhakela owayeneminyaka engu-28 ngaleso sikhathi, ahlinzwe ngodokotela kuleso sandla esasesiphukile.
UDokes wayegingqwa nguCoetzee nje wayesanda kuba ngumpetha weWBA ngokugingqa uMike Wever ngo-1982,
Kwamangaza abaningi ukwemukelwa kukaCoetzee nemenenja yakhe, uThinus Strydom eJohannesburg Airport (ngaleso sikhathi eyayisaziwa ngeJan Smuts), yizinkulungwane zezikhulu zikahulumeni nowayengungqongoshe wezangaphandle wangaleso sikhathi, uPik Botha, ngenxa yokuthi uCoetzee wayaziwa ngokungakufihli ukuphikisa kwakhe inqubo yemithetho yobandlululo.
Ngokubika kweWashington Post, uCoetzee wayengayizwa nhlobo eyokubizwa kwakhe ngabezindaba base-America nge-”the great white hope”, okwakuchaza ukuba yithemba labamhlophe, okuyingakho waze wacashunwa ethi: “Ngizibona ngilwela wonke umuntu waseNingizimu Afrika, omhlophe nomnyama. Okuthokozisayo wukuthi abamnyama, abansundu nabamhlophe bangemukele njengeqhawe labo.”
Kuthiwa ukuphikisana nenqubo yobandlululo kukaCoetzee kwamenza wangaconsa phansi kuNelson Mandela owayeyisishoshovu sokulwa nobandlululo ngaleso sikhathi owayesesejele, owayelalela izimpi zalo mshayisibhakela emsakazweni esejele.
Le nkalimeva yezamankomane eyaqala lo mdlalo ngo-1974, yahlulwa okokuqala ngo-1979 wuJohn “Big John” Tate empini yesicoco seWBA esasingaphethwe muntu. Waphinda wahlulwa ngo-1980 ehlulwa nguMike Weaver, empini eyayiseSun City, eNorth West, ngaphambi kokugcina esinqobile lesi sicoco ngo-1983 egingqa uDokes.
Le nkakha eyagaxa amagilavu emgibeni ngo-1997, yabe seyilwe izimpi ezingu-40, yanqoba ezingu-33 okubalwa kuzo ezingu-21 azinqoba ngomngqimuzo womlalisa phansi, yehlulwa kweziyisithupha, walwa ngokulingana kweyodwa.