The win over LeDoux allowed him to capture the United States Boxing Association's regional, Heavyweight championship[9] and be ranked by the WBA.

Weaver, a hard puncher, was decidedly behind on the three judges' scorecards and on his way to a points loss when he connected with a right to the body followed by a short left hook that lay Tate on the floor.

Referee Ernesto Magaňa counted the champion out at 2 minutes and fifteen seconds of the fifteenth and last round, making Weaver the WBA world heavyweight champion with only forty-five seconds left in that contest, the punch that landed Weaver the championship still being remembered decades later.

Dokes fought many of the best future professional fighters of the Heavyweight division as an amateur and beat a number of them, including some future professional world champions such as Leon Spinks (a three-rounds points loss on Saturday, June 15, 1974),[18] Trevor Berbick,[19] John Tate,[20] Greg Page[21] and Tony Tubbs, who won their fight when Dokes was not able to box him on Thursday, May 13, 1976 (which was listed as a "walk-over" loss on Dokes' amateur record)[22] Dokes represented the United States at the 1975 Pan American Games in men's boxing's Heavyweight division after beating Tate in the Pan American games trails' Heavyweight finals on Saturday, September 6, 1975, at Madison, Wisconsin, by a walk-over.

[24] In the finals, however, he met the legendary Cuban boxer, three-time Olympic Games gold medalist at the heavyweight division, Teofilo Stevenson.

On October 13, 1976, Dokes debuted as a professional, beating Al Byrd by a second-round knockout as part of a program that also included a George Foreman contest and that was headlined by a Roberto Duran WBA world Lightweight championship title defense.

[29] On September 28, 1979, the 14-0, 7 knockouts Dokes fought former world title challenger Jimmy Young as part of an undercard that also included Roberto Duran, Sugar Ray Leonard, Wilfredo Gomez and Larry Holmes defending his WBC world Heavyweight title against Earnie Shavers.

[30] Two bouts later, Dokes faced the 24 wins 6 defeats Lucien Rodriguez, a Moroccan-French who was, at the time, the future French national and European regional Heavyweight champion and Larry Holmes WBC world title challenger.

[31] Dokes outpointed Rodriguez over ten rounds to win a unanimous decision on Saturday, February 10, 1980, at the Convention Center in Miami Beach, Florida,[32] thus continuing his upward movement in the Heavyweight division's rankings.

The pair boxed to a ten-rounds draw (tie)[34] before having an immediate rematch, which was again contested in San Juan but this time at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum on Saturday, June 28 of the same year.

[35] On March 22, 1981, as part of a Salvador Sanchez vs. Roberto Castañon WBC world Featherweight championship contest's undercard program at the Caesar's Palace Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, Dokes faced future Larry Holmes world title challenger Randall "Tex" Cobb, outpointing the Texan by a ten-rounds majority decision in a difficult fight for Dokes.

Dokes met Lynn Ball, 17 wins and 5 losses with 12 wins by knockout, for Ball's North American Boxing Federation's Heavyweight title on January 30, 1982, as part of the program headlined by a WBC world Junior Middleweight championship bout between Puerto Rico's Wilfred Benitez and Panama's Roberto Duran at the Caesar's Palace Hotel in Las Vegas.

[41] Weaver-Dokes I was held on Friday, December 10, 1982, at the Caesar's Palace Hotel's Sports Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The Caesar's Palace Hotel at the time was going through a "golden era in boxing" of their own, with such major fights as Larry Holmes vs. Muhammad Ali, (a program in which Dokes also participated, knocking out Tom Fischer in seven rounds),[43] Salvador Sanchez vs. Wilfredo Gomez,[44] Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Thomas Hearns,[45] Wilfred Benitez vs. Roberto Duran,[37] Holmes vs. Gerry Cooney, the rematch between Aaron Pryor and Alexis Arguello,[46] Marvin Hagler vs. Roberto Duran,[47] Hearns vs. Duran,[48] Hagler vs. Hearns[49] Leonard vs. Hagler[50] and others taking place at the property.

The judges, assigned by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, were Jerry Roth, Carol Polis and Mike Glienna.

Weaver got up and received a protective-eight seconds count by referee Curtis, and was allowed to continue fighting, but he got pinned against a corner and Dokes launched an all-out attack at him there.

Several subplots followed the short fight: as he celebrated, Dokes landed hard on his left knee and fell to the canvas, needing medical attention.

[54] The WBA launched an investigation, during which it was revealed that on the morning of the bout, Nevada State Athletic Commission officials, including referee Joey Curtis, had been warned to be proactive in stopping matches earlier, as this was four weeks after the death of South Korean boxer Duk Koo Kim in the 14th round against Ray Mancini at the same venue.

Ultimately, the WBA decided not to overturn the contest's result, retaining Dokes as their world Heavyweight champion, but ordering a rematch to take place soon.

The second Dokes-Weaver contest is considered a classic by many; websites such as thefightcity.com and others mentioning them among the greatest 25 or so fights to have ever taken place in the Heavyweight division.

[58] Jimmy Lennon was the rematch's ring announcer, introducing champion Dokes and challenger Weaver to the attending crowds.

[59] Being put together along with Holmes-Witherspoon, Dokes-Weaver II became part of history as the first time two world Heavyweight championship bouts took place on the same date.

By the time the fifteenth round began, both seemed significantly tired, but the pair fired punches until the final bell sounded to signal the end of the contest.

Having also previously lost to Evander Holyfield[64] and to "Razor Ruddock", (in an undercard headlined by a world title fight between Edwin Rosario and Juan Nazario that also included a Weaver bout against James Smith) "[65] He retired with a record of 53 wins, 6 losses and 2 draws (ties) in 61 fights, with 34 wins and 5 losses by knockout.

[66] Dokes faced a myriad of problems after he lost the Heavyweight title; in 1986, he was arrested in Las Vegas, accused of cocaine trafficking.

[69] He and James Smith fought in the program in which Dokes battled Donovan Ruddock, losing to Smith by a 12-rounds unanimous decision at the Madison Square Garden on Wednesday, April 4, 1990, as part of a show headlined by a WBA world Lightweight championship bout between Puerto Ricans Edwin Rosario and Juan Nazario.

[70] On July 12, 1991, Weaver gave future International Boxing Hall of Fame member Lennox Lewis a test before losing by a sixth-round technical knockout at the Caesar's Tahoe Outdoor Arena in Stateline, Nevada, as part of a card whose headliners were Tony Lopez and Lupe Gutierrez for Lopez's IBF's world Junior Lightweight championship.