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Besting the Mouth of Boom Street: John Tate Vs Kallie Knoetzee

250px-KallieKnoetzeBy Kevin “The Voice” Kincade

By June of 1979, the WBA began making their move fill the coming void which would be left when Ali retired. While Ali was making commercials, fighting Superman in DC Comics, and taping his own Saturday morning cartoon show the business of boxing rolled on, and the Alphabet Battles heated up. There was seemingly no doubt as to who the top ranked heavyweight in the world should be; but because he wore another organization’s strap, the World Boxing Association omitted Larry Holmes from their rankings. When Ali finally decided to lay his boxing burden down, or so he said, in September, his belt would be up for grabs for one of four young contenders and, of course, “Die Bek van Boomstraat“ thought it was going to be him.

Kallie Knoetzee had been on a tear the last couple of years. The 6’ 1”, 26 year old “Mouth of Boom Street” was the # 1 ranked heavyweight in the world, according to the WBA. While he had looked impressive in his last eleven outings, he remained largely unknown to anyone who didn’t reside at the tip of the Dark Continent, especially in the United States, where his sole appearance was in his last bout, a 4th Round knockout over 18-2-1 Bill Sharkey, which aired on CBS. He had compiled an impressive record of 17-2, 16 KO’s against former British Champion and World Title Challenger, Richard Dunn, American Heavyweight hopeful, Duane Bobick, and tough fellow South African, Mike Shutte.

If Kallie had anything, it was power. The man had only gone the distance twice in 19 outings. His two losses came too undefeated Gerrie Coetzee, who would be facing former World Champion, Leon Spinks in a few weeks, and an Argentinian named Reinaldo Raul Gorosito, whom he was beating until he got DQ’ed for going south of the border one too many times.

Knoetzee was first in line in a four man tournament to determine who would be taking possession of Ali’s belt, once he finally retired. The first man he had to face was 3rd ranked, 6’ 4”, 24 year old Knoxville, Tennessee resident, John Tate. Tate, like Knoetzee, was a young fighter on the rise with impressive victories over another undefeated prospect, Colombian Bernardo Mercado, whom he stopped in 2, a tough split decision over veteran Johnny Bourdreaux, and, most recently, a first round destruction of Duane Bobick. “Big John” had also faced the same Raul Gorosito who had beaten Knoetzee by disqualification and later took him the distance in a loss. “The Fighting Machine” as the undefeated Tate was called by his corner, flattened Gorosito in 2.

John was 18-0, coming into this fight, and while he wasn’t a power puncher, per say, he was a big man at 230ish lbs and had good mobility and fast hands. Knoetzee would most certainly be his toughest test to date, especially since it would be taking place in MMabatho in Knoetzee’s JohnTatehome country, South Africa, where apartheid was still strong. For those too young to remember life before the Civil Rights movement in the United States, it is a situation difficult to imagine. The closest comparison here in the States would have been even further back, during the Jim Crow Era of the South, roughly the time Jack Johnson was Heavyweight Champion of the World.

Tate, knew what the opportunity meant, and, showing no fear, arrived early to allow his body to adjust to the time zone and climate. Winning a decision over a hometown white fighter, who happened to be the South African White Heavyweight Champion, had to play heavily on his mind and the minds of his corner. You could tell “Big John” was tense when the bell sounded for Round 1; but, in all fairness, both big men seemed to be feeling each other out.

In the second, John began opening up a little more, which caused Knoetzee to suddenly go on a vicious attack, bringing the partisan crowd to their feet. Backing Tate into the ropes using bullying tactics, elbows and his head, the “Mouth of Boom Street” loaded up with every shot as John patiently covered up, blocked, moved and bided his time until his opponent was done, never taking his eyes off of his man, never letting the fouls rattle him. As soon as he could, he created some distance and began launching counters. Nothing too hard, just enough to let Kallie know he was in there with someone who could hurt him.

Midway through the third, Knoetzee landed thunder and seemed to rock Tate. Launching an all-out assault, perhaps in a vain attempt to impress his hometown fans with a big knockout, Kallie rocked “Big John” into and almost over the ropes. Knoetzee loaded up with virtually every shot, many of which missed; but far from all. Tate regained his poise about two thirds of the way through the round, amidst the howls of the crowd, and smashed two uppercuts into Kallie’s jaw as the round ended.

The fourth saw Tate come out as the aggressor. Knoetzee was winded from his big attack in the last round and had trouble blocking anything Tate through. “The Fighting Machine” was clicking, his combinations began flowing like water, smoothly, effortlessly from the body to the head. He’d jab, hook off the jab and combine a right hand for good measure. There was no doubt who was in charge the whole round as the crowd attempted to lift Kallie back on the assault. Near the end of the round, Tate struck pay dirt with a long right which sent Knoetzee reeling across the ring. “Big John” followed up, going for the knockout and connected with a beautiful left uppercut, left hook combo which nearly put Knoetzee down just as the bell sounded, drawing jeers from the crowd.

The next few rounds saw Tate grow in confidence as his punches flew seamlessly. Methodically, bit by bit, piece by piece, he was taking Knoetzee apart, with only the South African’s heart and chin keeping him in the fight. Wherever there was an opening, that’s where Tate nailed him; and the punches would vary. Sometimes there was one, sometimes two, sometimes four and five. He was always out of range when he was on the outside, and on the inside his punches were short, crisp, and deliberate.

By the beginning of the eighth round, one could clearly see that Kallie was fighting on borrowed time as he did everything he could to keep the big man off of him; but “The Machine” kept coming. The motor was primed and running now and after a few more vicious combinations to the body and head, the heap of flesh which used to be the # 1 WBA contender, somehow still upright, staggered along the ropes at the referee called a halt to the massacre.

The thing that became apparent about John Tate was his why they called him, “The Machine”. You couldn’t ask for a more complete fighter. He was the text book. Kallie Knoetzee was chaos, power, and an unafraid force which was coming to destroy you, while John Tate was the eye of the storm. No matter what Knoetzee threw at him, no matter how hostile the environment was in which he was fighting, the science of the sport was his salvation. Ace Miller and crew had done well. The raw kid whom they had taken to the Montreal Olympics, who had been stopped by the great Teofilo Stephenson in one round had grown and matured to fit the nickname they had bequeathed upon him.

At 19-0, John Tate, “The Fighting Machine” was about to challenge for the WBA Heavyweight Championship of the World.

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