Pierre Coetzer

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Pierre Coetzer
Born (1961-12-06) 6 December 1961 (age 62)
Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
NationalitySouth African
Statistics
Weight(s)Heavyweight
Height6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
StanceOrthodox
Boxing record
Total fights44
Wins39
Wins by KO27
Losses5
Draws0
No contests0

Pierre Coetzer (born 6 December 1961) is a former heavyweight boxer from Pretoria, South Africa. Coetzer's most notable fights include those against Johnny du Plooy, Riddick Bowe, Frank Bruno, and George Foreman.

Professional career[edit]

Coetzer began his professional boxing career in 1983. After winning his first nine fights, he was matched up against American cruiserweight Bernard Benton. In their July 1984 ten-round bout in Durban, Benton won on points. In September 1984, he fought Benny Knoetze for the vacant South African Heavyweight Title, and knocked him out in the third round, after being dropped twice in round two.

Over the next three years, Coetzer notched a dozen victories; including wins against Larry Frazier, Eddie "Young Joe Louis" Taylor, and Alfredo Evangelista. He also won his rematch bout with Bernard Benton on 28 September 1987, when he knocked him out in the first round. He then faced Puerto Rican Ossie Ocasio, who had won the WBA Cruiserweight Championship, and who had defeated boxers such as Jimmy Young, Dwight Muhammad Qawi, and Robbie Williams. On 6 March 1988, they had their first match at the Good Hope Centre in Cape Town. Ocasio won the ten-round bout on points, which gave Coetzer his first loss since the South African Heavyweight Title. However, after defeating Tim Anderson (U.S.) and Manoel De Almeida (Brazil), Coetzer faced Ocasio in a rematch at the Standard Bank Indoor Arena, and won the ten-round bout on points.

After six more wins, Coetzer faced local heavyweight Johnny du Plooy, who had won 196 of his 200 amateur fights, and who had scored 17 knockouts in his first 20 professional fights. They met on 4 August 1990 at the Sun City Superbowl, in a bout billed "Once and For All". Du Plooy cut Coetzer with his first right punch, and had him down towards the end of the first round, but Coetzer dropped Du Plooy twice in the second round and won the fight by TKO.[1]

Coetzer went on to earn a number-one contender spot for Evander Holyfield's IBF world title, but was made to fight a WBA Heavyweight Title Eliminator, scheduled for 12 rounds, against the number-two contender, Riddick Bowe. The bout took place on 18 July 1992 in Las Vegas, Nevada. During the fight, Bowe was ahead in scoring, although Coetzer disagreed. In the sixth round, Bowe hit Coetzer below the belt, for which the referee Mills Lane had deducted a point. In the seventh round, Bowe hit Coetzer with what appeared to be a right-handed low blow. Coetzer turned away, and anticipated that Lane would warn Bowe, however, he left his hands down, and Bowe delivered a jolting right uppercut. Bowe then followed with a left and right that drove Coetzer into the ropes, which caused Lane to step in and end the match with a TKO. "It definitely shouldn't have been stopped," said Coetzer. "It was a low blow."

Coetzer fought Frank Bruno from London, England. The referee stopped the fight in the eighth round and Bruno was awarded a TKO. His final career bout was against George Foreman; he was knocked down briefly in the fourth round, but eventually lost by TKO when he was knocked down again in the eighth.

Professional boxing record[edit]

39 Wins (27 knockouts, 12 decisions), 5 Losses (3 knockouts, 2 decisions)[2]
Result Record Opponent Type Round Date Location Notes
Loss 39–5 United States George Foreman TKO 8 1993-01-16 Nevada Reno-Sparks Convention Center, Reno, Nevada, U.S. Referee stopped the bout at 1:48 of the eighth round.
Loss 39–4 United Kingdom Frank Bruno TKO 8 1992-10-17 United Kingdom The Arena, London, England Referee stopped the bout at 2:17 into the eighth round.[3]
Loss 39–3 United States Riddick Bowe TKO 7 1992-07-18 Nevada Mirage Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. Referee stopped the bout at 2:59 of the seventh round.
Win 39–2 United States Carlton West TKO 1 1992-05-16 United States Hugo's Nightclub, Bealton, Virginia, U.S. [4]
Win 38–2 United States Dan Murphy TKO 3 1991-10-19 United States Williamson Field House, Williamson, West Virginia, U.S.
Win 37–2 United States Jerry Halstead PTS 10 1991-07-27 Bophuthatswana Superbowl, Sun City, Bophuthatswana
Win 36–2 Cuba José Ribalta PTS 10 1991-05-11 United States Biloxi, Mississippi, U.S.
Win 35–2 Canada Ken Lakusta TKO 2 1990-12-16 United Kingdom The Pavilion, Thornaby, England
Win 34–2 United States Kimmuel Odum TKO 10 1990-12-15 Italy Palazzo del Ghiaccio, Marino, Lazio, Italy
Win 33–2 United States J.B. Williamson PTS 10 1990-11-08 United States Biloxi, Mississippi, U.S.
Win 32–2 South Africa Johnny du Plooy TKO 2 1990-08-04 Bophuthatswana Superbowl, Sun City, Bophuthatswana
Win 31–2 United States Philipp Brown TKO 9 1990-06-09 Bophuthatswana Superbowl, Sun City, Bophuthatswana
Win 30–2 United States Everett Martin UD 10 1990-05-05 United States Green Bay, Wisconsin, U.S.
Win 29–2 United States Bobby Hitz KO 1 1989-09-09 Puerto Rico Coliseo Roberto Clemente, San Juan, Puerto Rico, U.S. Hitz knocked out at 2:59 of the first round.
Win 28–2 United States Michael Greer KO 6 1989-05-29 South Africa Standard Bank Arena, Johannesburg, South Africa
Win 27–2 United States James Pritchard TKO 8 1989-03-18 South Africa Standard Bank Arena, Johannesburg, South Africa
Win 26–2 United States Mike White TKO 8 1989-02-11 South Africa Standard Bank Arena, Johannesburg, South Africa
Win 25–2 Puerto Rico Ossie Ocasio PTS 10 1988-11-26 South Africa Standard Bank Arena, Johannesburg, South Africa
Win 24–2 Brazil Manoel De Almeida TKO 4 1988-09-28 South Africa Standard Bank Arena, Johannesburg, South Africa
Win 23–2 United States Tim Anderson KO 2 1988-08-15 South Africa West Ridge Park Tennis Stadium, Durban, South Africa
Loss 22–2 Puerto Rico Ossie Ocasio PTS 10 1988-03-06 South Africa Good Hope Centre, Cape Town, South Africa
Win 22–1 United States Bernard Benton KO 1 1987-09-28 South Africa Standard Bank Arena, Johannesburg, South Africa
Win 21–1 Uruguay Alfredo Evangelista PTS 10 1987-08-30 South Africa Ellis Park Tennis Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa
Win 20–1 United Kingdom Chris Jacobs KO 2 1987-03-08 South Africa Portuguese Hall, Johannesburg, South Africa
Win 19–1 Panama Luis Lozano KO 1 1986-09-27 Bophuthatswana Superbowl, Sun City, Bophuthatswana
Win 18–1 United States Kevin P Porter TKO 6 1986-05-14 South Africa Rand Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa
Win 17–1 United States Tommy Franco Thomas TKO 2 1986-04-02 South Africa West Ridge Park Tennis Stadium, Durban, South Africa
Win 16–1 United States Eddie Taylor TKO 9 1986-02-19 South Africa Rand Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa
Win 15–1 United States Larry Frazier PTS 10 1985-09-30 South Africa Rand Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa
Win 14–1 United States Dion Simpson TKO 8 1985-09-07 South Africa Ellis Park Rugby Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa
Win 13–1 United States David Jaco KO 6 1985-07-08 South Africa Portuguese Hall, Johannesburg, South Africa
Win 12–1 United States Rocky Sekorski PTS 10 1985-05-13 South Africa Portuguese Hall, Johannesburg, South Africa
Win 11–1 United States Mark Lee PTS 10 1985-03-25 South Africa West Ridge Park Tennis Stadium, Durban, South Africa
Win 10–1 South Africa Bennie Knoetze KO 3 1984-09-22 South Africa Ellis Park Tennis Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa South African Heavyweight Title.
Loss 9–1 United States Bernard Benton PTS 10 1984-07-16 South Africa West Ridge Park Tennis Stadium, Durban, South Africa
Win 9–0 United States Leroy Caldwell PTS 8 1984-05-21 South Africa Portuguese Hall, Johannesburg, South Africa
Win 8–0 Spain Felipe Rodriguez TKO 2 1984-03-31 South Africa Ellis Park Tennis Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa
Win 7–0 United States Billy Joe Thomas TKO 5 1984-01-28 South Africa Ellis Park Tennis Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa
Win 6–0 United Kingdom Steve Gee PTS 8 1983-09-03 South Africa Wembley Sports Pavilion, Johannesburg, South Africa
Win 5–0 South Africa Ron Ellis KO 4 1983-07-04 South Africa West Ridge Park Tennis Stadium, Durban, South Africa
Win 4–0 South Africa Louis Hendricks TKO 5 1983-06-11 South Africa Wembley Sports Pavilion, Johannesburg, South Africa
Win 3–0 South Africa Jerry Shezi PTS 6 1983-04-23 South Africa Wembley Sports Pavilion, Johannesburg, South Africa
Win 2–0 South Africa Caiphus Masondo KO 2 1983-03-14 South Africa West Ridge Park Tennis Stadium, Durban, South Africa
Win 1–0 South Africa Isaac Ndlamlenze TKO 1 1983-02-05 South Africa Ellis Park Tennis Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Johnny du Plooy dies at 48 – SuperSport – Boxing". SuperSport. Retrieved 10 May 2013.
  2. ^ "Pierre Coetzer – Boxer". Boxrec.com. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
  3. ^ Purnell, Gareth (18 October 1992). "Boxing: Bruno battles closer to title chance – Sport". The Independent. Archived from the original on 26 May 2022. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
  4. ^ Rhodes, Gary (28 April 1992). "Boxing card is delayed". The Free Lance-Star.

External links[edit]