Frank Bruno vs Gerrie Coetzee in a ten round non-title heavyweight bout
Date: March 4, 1986
Venue: Wembley Arena, London
Bruno stance: orthodox
Coetzee stance: orthodox
Frank Bruno turned pro in 1982 and won his first 20 contests - all inside the distance. His first setback was a last round stoppage to future WBA champion James Smith. Bruno then won his next six bouts, with only Philip Brown lasting the distance. His fourth round stoppage of Anders Eklund earned Bruno his first belt - the European title. His next bout was an unofficial eliminator for Tim Witherspoon's WBA title.
Gerrie Coetzee had a reputation as a talented boxer who couldn't win the big fights. That all changed in 1983 when he knocked out Michael Dokes in the tenth round to win the WBA title. Coetzee lost his belt in his first defence, when Greg Page stopped him in the eighth round, despite the decisive blow landing almost a minute after the round should have ended. When the WBA refused to sanction a rematch, Coetzee took on James Tillis 15 months later and won on points.
For an in depth look at their respective records, visit:
Frank Bruno - https://boxrec.com/en/proboxer/505
Gerrie Coetzee - https://boxrec.com/en/proboxer/176
