Gerrie recalls how he got first shot at world title
THE recent passing of Leon Spinks, a former WBC and WBA world heavyweight champion, has brought back vivid memories of Gerrie Coetzee's lightning-fast first-round victory over the then world No 3-ranked American in June 1979 in Monte Carlo.
Spinks, 67, died in a Las Vegas hospital after a protracted battle with cancer.
The Spinks vs Coetzee bout was an eliminator for the vacant WBA heavyweight title, which had previously been held by Muhammad Ali, who had announced his retirement in 1979. Ali, however, came out of retirement
