Former WBA heavyweight titleholder Gerrie Coetzee has passed away aged 67. The news broke via his daughter Lana Coetzee who told South African outlet IOL Sport that he had died from “an aggressive form of cancer” that they’d only discovered the previous week.

Coetzee compiled a professional resume of 33-6-1 (21 knockouts) during a career span that ran from 1974 to 1997.

During the height of the apartheid the heavyweight gave his views on the struggles in his home country, telling the Washington Post in 1979 “people should be treated on merit and not on race or color.”

“I feel I am fighting for everybody, black and white,” Coetzee said. “What really makes me happy is for black, brown and white people to accept me as their fighter.”

The fight that earned him worldwide recognition was his one round demolition of Leon Spinks who at the time was returning for his heavyweight title loss to Muhammad Ali.

The victory earned him his first shot at the WBA heavyweight title but it was not to be, losing a unanimous decision against John Tate. He got straight back to winning way by knocking out Mike Koranicki before his second bite of the cherry presented itself.

Mike Weaver was now in the way of securing a title but again he would prove a stumbling block with Weaver knocking out him out in the 13th round.

A reset was in order after losing a split decision to Renaldo Snipes in 1981 he went on an unbeaten streak of 5 fights, bringing him the third shot at the WBA heavyweight crown.

He was not to be denied a third time. Michael Dokes was the man to be dethroned via 10th round knockout in a fight that was later named “Upset of the Year” in 1983 by The Ring Magazine.

His reign was short-lived, losing his first defence against Greg Page after being knocked out in a controversial round that was nearly four minutes long.

Coetzee became known to UK audiences, fighting and losing to Frank Bruno in 1986. He would make a number of comebacks thereafter but never for another world title.

Coetzee leaves behind a wife, Rina, three children and seven grandchildren.