REWINDING 51 years today, Africa famously staged its first heavyweight world title contest, as Muhammad Ali and George Foreman went to war in the fabled ‘Rumble in the Jungle’. Here, we look at all five occasions on which the coveted heavyweight crown was on the line in Africa.
George Foreman vs Muhammad Ali – 30th October 1974 – Kinshasa, Zaire
On this day in 1974, Muhammad Ali pulled off one of boxing’s most legendary wins, dethroning the seemingly unbeatable George Foreman by deploying a tactical masterplan in the first ever heavyweight world title fight in Africa.
Soaking up the pressure and power of ‘Big George’, Ali was able to turn the tide and take out the tired champion in an unforgettable eighth round, becoming boxing’s second two-time heavyweight conqueror (following Floyd Patterson).
John Tate vs Gerrie Coetzee – 20th October 1979 – Pretoria, South Africa
Backed by both black and white fans in an apartheid South Africa, Coetzee was willed on by millions as he attempted to become the first African heavyweight world champion.
Such was his support, that he was able to bring John Tate to his backyard for a historic night; the first major sporting event that black and white patrons could attend together in South African history.
Yet, in front of 81,000 spectators, ‘The White Hope’ was unable to get the job done, with Tate taking a relatively straightforward decision to get his hands on the vacant WBA title.
Mike Weaver vs Gerrie Coetzee – 25th October 1980 – Sun City, Bophuthatswana (now South Africa)
One year later, Coetzee had his second crack at the WBA crown and once again brought a heavyweight title affair to Africa. He collided with the newly crowned Mike Weaver, who dramatically stopped Tate in the final round of their scrap earlier that year to claim the belt.
Event organisers had faced criticism for staging such a high-profile fight in a country as segregated as South Africa last time around, so they found a workaround.
Instead, technically at least, Weaver-Coetzee would take place in Bophuthatswana, a republic that was recognised as an independent nation solely by South Africa and was later re-incorporated.
In an exciting brawl, Coetzee made sure to take the fight to the champion but once again came up short, losing via stoppage in round 13 after being floored by a brutal right-hook.
Gerrie Coetzee vs Greg Page – 1st December 1984 – Sun City, Bophuthatswana (now South Africa)
Ironically, after bringing two major events to Africa when challenging for heavyweight gold, Coetzee finally sat on the heavyweight throne following a victory in the United States, knocking out Michael Dokes for the WBA strap in Ohio in 1983.
15 months later, Coetzee set out for a first defence, tasked with Greg Page and taking the fight to Bophuthatswana once again.
Yet, despite a questionable opponent, Coetzee’s home soil curse continued, as Page pulled off a shocking upset. The American challenger had lost in his two prior outings and was understandably being criticized for being granted a title shot.
However, an uppercut in the eighth round knocked Coetzee out cold and silenced those critics, putting an early end to the South African’s reign.
Lennox Lewis vs Hasim Rahman – 22nd April 2001 – Brakpan, South Africa
Whilst Page’s triumph was an upset, Rahman’s was deemed a miracle. Lennox Lewis seemed untouchable at the time and was in negotiations for an in-demand showdown with Mike Tyson.
As a 20-1 underdog, Rahman put those plans on ice in round five by landing an authoritative overhand through Lewis’ guard, handing ‘The Lion’ another shock defeat, seven years after a surprising loss to Oliver McCall.
The altitude in Brakpan South Africa has since been pinpointed as a reason behind Lewis’ defeat, having not given himself enough time to adjust to the climate.
Although, it’s undeniable that Lewis simply overlooked ‘The Rock’ and took his eye off the ball.
When they rematched, Lewis regained his title with an even more emphatic knockout, then going on to defeat Tyson and Vitali Klitschko before hanging up the gloves in 2004.
