Gerry Cooney lives in my small town in NJ. For years I ran into him at the annual father-daughter dances when our kids were in Girl Scouts. The first year I went up to him with my daughter and said, Hey Champ - my daughter wanted to meet you. A huge smile formed on his face and he knelt down and said, "Great to meet ya! If any kids in school give you a problem, tell 'em you know me!" Great guy.
@Websiteguy 2 Cooney needed to be taught how to fight big. Definitely had talent but who in their right mind teaches someone 6'5 to fight from a couch?
Holmes as the champion was introduced FIRST, Cooney second?! Man the whole system so wanted Cooney to win this one. Kudos to Larry for reigning supreme for many years.
@@MichaelLove-wl2ti an old ass Holmes who Don King paid to get up off the couch with hardly any training.. Any real boxing fan knows Larry Holmes is way above Tyson as an ATG
@@britishamerican4321 thats what this generation is missing they can sit in their rooms watch fights on their i pads. these fights were events that you would have go watch on closed circuit. i saw this fight with my dad and brothers at a drive in movie theater in smithtown ny on long island
No one following Ali was going to have it easy. I think he knows this and is at peace. He's one of the few that was smart with his money and is in good shape which I love.
@@jamesanthony5681 absolutely, Ali knew that he wasn't Ali anymore and I believe knew that Larry would punish him. Far better for the legacy to drop the title to someone you can beat and make history on the way out.
Holmes was always in the shadow of Ali no matter what his record was, plus at that time people wanted their boxing champs to have a certain bravado like Ali did and Holmes didn’t have that, he was just a good solid fighter
I use to box when I was in the service. Anyone that has gone more than 3 rounds knows how tough a sport this is.Your arms feel like lead weights even if your in great shape. It was hot as hell in that ring. Both of these guys were in superb condition. I respect any man that fights for a living. Ali= The Greatest!
Incredibly hard sport - the entire body must be in peak shape just for training let alone a match - must deal with tremendous fear at all times as one punch can lead to another and another which can bring on total blackness
Larry Holmes came after Ali and because of that, he never really got his just due as a champion, but Holmes is one of the greatest fighters in boxing history.
I remember this fight. I was 11 years old watching the fight with my uncle & cousins. We were rooting for Larry Holmes. Two weeks later ABC reboardcasted the fight in prime time. Last of the Classic 15 rounder.
You have to credit Holmes for his performance. The atmosphere was extremely volatile and he was in absolute control of his emotions. Unbelievable performance!
They interviewed him about this years later. Once that bell rung, all the bullshit goes out the window and it was just him and his opponent. Just another guy to knock out.
@GustavusAdolphus1 If you read my quote, I said, "the atmosphere " was volatile. I never excused Holmes behavior. Don King wanted it that way. Everyone was part of that. Let's have the discussion without resorting to name calling and accusations.
@GustavusAdolphus1 I never denied Holmes's responsibility in that climate. I won't exonerate Rappaport and Jones either. I only admired Larry's in ring work.
All of these people saying Gerry Cooney sucked are idiots, if you are a professional athlete in any sport you don't suck. Larry Holmes was a better boxer and beat Cooney fair and square, but that doesn't mean that he sucked. I think both of these fighters are underrated, Larry Holmes especially.
As much old boxing and old sports in general I've watched on RUclips in recent years, this is the first time I've watched this one. Holmes looks as disciplined as ever in how he boxed Cooney into submission. It was also perhaps the best shape I can see Holmes was in during his '80s career. At the same time, Cooney proved himself to be no tomato can for his troubles. He had but one weapon -- the left hook -- but he used it to score many times on this night. Holmes was the underrated champion (because of who he succeeded) and this was the ultimate underrated fight of the '80s.
Stood toe to toe with Shavers trading punches and was floored by him , only for him to get up in Ali fashion and continue for 15 rounds by which time Shavers punched himself out.
This is the first time I actually watched the whole fight. I always dismissed Gerry Cooney as another over-hyped Great White Hope,but after watching the fight I can see the level of skills he had,especially after watching Deontay Wilder against Fury. Gerry threw good combos,used his jab,worked the body,etc. Larry stayed calm and picked him apart. It was a good fight with both guys showing talent,heart and courage!
I've been making this claim among a few boxing threads. The current heavyweight division is just too big to be as athletic as the older ones. There needs to be a super heavyweight division. The game is just too based on pure size anymore and grappling tactics
@@trevorboyer2731 The current HW division is the superheavyweight division dude. Cruiser is effectively heavy, but again great fighters can overcome size. AJ looks like a bodybuilder got brutally stopped by RUiz, Chisora is a SHW got boxed his head off by Usyk . Great Heavies will come but they will likely not be American. Look at Erislandy Savon, Bakhodir Jalolov, and Dainier Pero. They will be great if all were pros. Richie Torres is not half bad either. Cooner was 6 6 230, that's super. Believe it or not there was super heavies in the old school., they just got beaten by the better boxers. The division stagnated but let it come. Also most of these guys can't grapple. Old school fighting had grappling as a form of infighting. There's no true infighters at heavy. Sixe is not insurmountable, Clemente Russo showed that many times in amateurs, and so did Mihai Nistor and Igor Vysotsky. Amateurs is so underrated you really see styles clash there and there's no cherry picking.
@@matthiasi8292 I don't think Larry was in his prime at that time. He was going on 33 years old and was starting to use his legs at that point. A larry Holmes around 1979, 80 was in his prime.
I’m glad Larry won. He truly deserved it. But I’ve got to say...For a guy who never really was tested by a legitimate top 10 heavyweight, to go 13 relatively competitive rounds with a prime Larry Holmes... Cooney did alright!
Prime? Larry Holmes was 32. Well past his prime. And toyed with the guy most if the fight. What the hell were you people watching? Judging the fight with your heart, not with your eyes. Giving Cooney credit for not being knocked out early doesntbmake it a competitive fight.
Great try to create some link between marciano and Cooney no please stop each individual is his or her individual Cooney's boxing style is nothing like marcianos
Much more competitive fight than I remember it being. Cooney had a lot of heart. But you gotta give Larry credit - that great left jab of his. Larry is so underrated as a champion.
Cooney had two great fights in his career, the win over Young, and this loss. He got beat by a motivated Holmes in his prime, but Gerry never showed this much heart and determination. Before, or after. Holmes was definitely underrated. Top 5 atg heavy.
You are right! He was just as good as Ali. He was so fast and had a stinging slapping jab! He had no fear except against Tyson, but who wouldn't have. He was an old man when he fought Tyson and Mike was in his prime!
George Foreman was asked in an interview who was the hardest puncher he was ever up against. The interviewer was shocked when George said, "Gerry Cooney". Regardless of all of the comments here, this was a great heavyweight fight. A lot of action.
He said he was one of three along with Lyle and Williams, and he didn't actually rank them by who he thought hit hardest. Though, he did mentioned that Lyle was his toughest fight.
SOMETHING FROM THE NY TIMES, post press conference. With Cooney sitting nearby, he said: ''Gerry is a fighter, he surprised me and I think he surprised a lot of people. If he ever gets Rappaport out of his corner, he'll be all right.'' ''I hope Gerry has no hard feelings. I hope his family is proud of him. Nobody in the world could have beaten Gerry Cooney last night but Larry Holmes.'' IT SEEMS LIKE HOLMES WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO KNEW WHAT WAS HAPPENING.
It was great to hear my grandpa voice it's been so long. I forgot what he sounded like. Gerry was everything to my grandfather he treated him like a son.
The way he he jumped in to stop the fight...its easy to see how much he cared for his fighter....the ref was gonna let it go on but your pap stopped any more damage to his fighter. He didn't hesitate. That's showing intelligence, care. and class. It was a great fight.
@@martinfoster3426 Please. Larry Holmes was pretty much done at 36 when he fought Mike Spinks who was, what, 29? Larry Holmes beat everyone he faced in his rise and during his prime years - including Cooney; however, he never faced George Foreman who had left boxing when Larry got his title shot. If he had faced and beaten Foreman in both their primes, then a rock-solid case could be made for Holmes to be included amongst the top (5?) heavyweights of the 20th century.
I'm glad that Larry is finally starting to get the recognition he deserves. I still don't understand why he was continually disrespected throughout his career. Thanks for the replay!
he was disrespected because he wasn't a pretty fighter. His form wasn't entertaining to watch. He was effective and thats really all that matters. Felix Trinidad was one of the ugliest fighters i've ever seen, yet he dusted so many people.
Blastaar7 Yeah, you have a point. He didn't try to be pretty or entertaining; the first time I saw him, I remember thinking that he looked like Frankenstein. The only thing on his mind was the moment and that amazing jab.
***** Oh i didn't say he was ineffective. I'm just talking about the optics of it. He looked mad sloppy, to the point where i was like "wtf, how is he KOing all these people?"
Holmes was disrespected because the guy was a first class jerk and the people who knew him didn't like him. Was he a great fighter? Yes. But, you can't earn respect with just your fists. How you treat others goes a long way.
Great upload. The build up to this fight was massive at the time. Holmes still hadn't gotten the acknowledgement he warranted as an outstanding champion back then. Cooney showed much more talent/heart/balls than most had expected. 25 years old at the time. Imagine how far he could have gone with the right handling. That these guys remain friends 40 years on speaks volumes.
I have a lot of sympathy for the Great Champion, Larry Holmes. He never really did get his due, and you can tell in after-fight interviews, he really longed for that. He shouldn't have had to give himself credit, he was an exceptional boxer.
I work with a lot of people that brag on themselves. I was always taught if you have to brag on yourself you are not worth a damn. Not saying that about holmes
+Robert Clary I always thought that Homes was an underrated champion, but he had 20 title defenses and took on all comers. Some of those were criticized as set-ups but he gave every one of those challengers a shot at the title. And some of the opponents were damn tough, including Shavers, Ali, Spinks, Cobb, Berbick, Witherspoon, and of course Cooney. Holmes didn't hide behind his belt. Gotta give him credit for putting his title on the line against any challenger.
As a white teenager growing up on the edge of a small town, I wanted Holmes to win this fight. I was a boxing fan first, and worked out in a boxing gym. Race meant nothing to me. Merit meant everything. Holmes was a true champion, a fighter with great skill, who didn't get the credit he deserved. Cooney was a somewhat protected fighter who had knocked out old men, and should barely have been ranked in the top 10. To Gerry's credit, he lasted longer than I thought. I figured if Larry could take Shavers best shot, he could take Gerry's, and it was only a matter of time before Larry used his vast experience and far more developed skills to pick Cooney apart, and Gerry would collapse from exhaustion and repeated shots from Holmes in the mid rounds. Using his size, ability to get his punches off, and last as long as he did earned Gerry respect from me. But the result was never in doubt in my mind, and there was a celebration in my house after Larry finished him off. Sadly, even after this win people still questioned if Larry was really that great of a champion. Folks, he really was. True boxing fans knew it then, and remember it that way. I rank him as the #3 all time HW, behind only Louis and Ali. He was that good.
I think you may have struck a nerve of truth, you posted a great comment and yet there is little response from "Cooney fans" (emphasis on the quotations).
This version of Holmes was beast. His jab and his one two where as good Ali’s but stronger imo. Holmes was undefeated for 20 defenses so this is one of his best fights. Cooney was a savage. You had to get through him in the 80s just to be considered a real one. A lot of people say he hit hard af. Holmes is a disrespectful d bag. But I feel like this Holmes would be trouble for prime mike. Prime Ali would beat Holmes
Always come back to watch Larry man, that jab was an absolute thing of beauty… probably one the greatest jabs in boxing history. Coupled with that viscous right Holmes always brought the heat. The last TRUE lineal HW champ Larry Holmes; what a fighter and what a legend of the sport 💪
Wow, Cooney was one tough dude with some serious power, speed and boxing ability. Holmes looks superb here though and still had the energy in the later rounds. Both great competitors
Holmes is the most underrated heavyweight ever. Cooney was a really good fighter who definitely made a great fight out of this. You can say whatever you want about Cooney’s troubles after this fight that derailed his career but on this night, he fought great, just a step below an all time great like Holmes.
I'll never forget that. I remember it like it was yesterday. I was in college (1982) arguing with most of my White football teammates that Cooney was a bum. I said it then and I'll repeat it now. But, what hurt me was that Ali and Bill Cosby picked Cooney to win. Many ppl thought he would win. I didn't he was a stiff.
Robert Williams Either you have very idiosyncratic definition of "bum" (a world class boxer just below the top tier?) or you're an idiot. There is no third possibility. Of the ~58,000 who have watched this video, I'd wager heavily not one could last five rounds against Cooney in his prime. You remind me of those dipshits in the 90's who referred to the Chicago Bulls as "Jordan and the losers".
***** yes Gerry would beat probably all 58,000 people who have watch this video. his problem was he couldnt beat the top contenders and champions of his Era. he wasnt a bum but he was nothing more than average.
***** Average relative to whom? And you're just empirically dead wrong about him not beating top contenders - how do you think he got to be ranked number one? For Christs's sake just look at this fight. He gave Holmes - arguably among the top ten of all time - a very close fight before being knocked out in the last round. A little question: what are you really good at? What do you do anywhere near as well as Cooney boxed?
@@atheistleopard2484 wich one lol if you are talking about Mike spinks, yes Larry standed straight and on his feet in both fights ;) the referee decided to give the victorys to spinks ( espcially the second one ) cause they probably didn't wanted to brake the record of a white man legend.
@@johnhepburn463 He should have deserve to finish his career with 50-0 but he never had the popularity of Ali, the medias didn't like him and they pushed average people who watched boxing on tv to not like him either...
This was Holmes' best fight. I think he even said this once before. Cooney was a real threat, and given the number of belts scattered around in the 1980s, had Cooney not had his troubles out of the ring he likely would have held one or two of them eventually. This was a much better fight than people thought at the time.
Only for five more times after this fight and lost two of them and one was to Michael Spinks Who was a shot fighter at the time. Gerry Cooney I was never the same after this fight, he never got a belt.
@James Lee that was an amazing fight. Holmes had a bad elbow that he fought through, if memory serves. That might be why he said the Cooney fight was his best, because he was at his best.
Disagree with this comment. Holmes was on the down already IMO. He was already at the point that he couldn't fight a full 3 minutes of every round and had already been starched by shavers and snipes. I firmly believe that the best holmes we ever saw was for Ali, shame that it was wasted on someone so shot.
I don't Think Cooney would have been Champion tbh. Too Slow and only used His left arm. He relied on a knockout and savvy fighters found him out. Its interesting that His previous Two fights before Holmes were one round Knockouts against Ron Lyle and Ken Norton , who were way over the hill by then
Sugar Ray is a disaster as an analyst. Loved him as a fighter but he flip flops with whichever way the wind is blowing. Holmes was a great champion but he was lucky to reign in an era with no real competition.
@@MoMoMyPup10 Yes, he wasn't good as an analyst. A lot of fighters avoided Holmes. Ali fought Leon Spinks at a time when Holmes was more deserving of a title shot. Mike Tyson WAS lucky to reign in an era with no real competition. Who did Mike beat of consequence? The best heavyweights of the past 80 years, in no particular order of greatness: Joe Louis Muhammad Ali Rocky Marciano George Foreman Larry Holmes
@@jlmartinez8482 agreed. Even so, Ali had was STILL competent enough up to Manilla in 75. I think that version of him could get the win too against Holmes in a decision.
As an intense heavyweight fight fan since Floyd Patterson beat Archie Moore in 1956, I am impressed with the quality of observations and analyses made by public boxing enthusiasts here at this site. A hearty congratulations to the preparers of this high quality video of a great heavyweight bout. In addition, I was blessed to be at ringside at Caesar's Palace that blistering 100°F evening in the desert in May 1982 and witnessed this fight ....live. At ringside, I observed how the Champion counter punched the challenger at will in the early rounds until he knocked the challenger down in round 2 or 3. The speed, accuracy and intensity of the Champion's jabs and combinations overwhelmed the challenger to the extent that he resorted to throwing his vaunted "money" left hook below the belt of the Champion, striking his testicles about 20 times until the fight was stopped for almost 5 minutes in the 9th round. The challenger was repeated warned by referee, Mills Lane. Significantly, there was fear and talk that the fight might be stopped and the challenger disqualified. But the everyone at ringside understood that the challenger was panicked and the revenues from the money gate were the largest in history at that time. Of course, the Champion prevailed in the 13th round with a TKO and went on to a 48-0 record before losing a split- decision to Michael Spinks.
Cooney's problem was he was knocking people out fast and not building the endurance for late round fights. He actually fought a pretty good fight, but you can see the wind coming out of his sail as the fight progressed into the late rounds.
sorry folks, respect for Cooney yet I just love Holmes, as a boxer he has been one of the very best. And as a human being as well, the way he handled the Ali fight
Not to mention that Gerry had no right hand to do real damage -- which is unfortunate for him and for this level. But Larry took his best shots and certainly dished out his own ... the rest is history.
Damn . . . it was 1982 . . . I was 10 years old . . . I was a white boy . . . I was watching this live on television . . . and I was rooting for Larry. Fucking. Holmes.
I remember when Foreman was on Late Night w David Letterman and he asked him who the hardest punchers were. He said Ronnie Lyle, Cleveland Williams (sparring partner) and Cooney. Letterman laughed in shock but Foreman reaffirmed it. The guy was 6'5 and moved well with good speed and athleticism for his size.
Cooney was a very good fighter. He wasn't great but he was certainly no bum. He proved here he belonged fighting for the championship of the world and Larry Holmes proved he was a worthy holder of that title. Im glad the two are still friends long after the fight. Thanks to both men.
Fuck Cooney. If he was a real man, he wouldn't have brought his bum ass out last. Champs always come out last, and that Racist bastard agreed to come out first so fuck him
OK, Gay Day...Your "truth" is not my truth. The word "racist" has no credibility anymore. Especially in 2020. SJW's claim milk is racist because it's white, and frankly no one likes a big baby like yourself crying about everything being "racist" all the time. Only racists obsess over race...FACT.
Cooney was more competitive than I remember - he fought Holmes at the top of his game and put a good account of himself up. Also, Holmes fought a VERY smart fight, he was an excellent fighter
@@martinfoster3426 What does that have to do with this? All fighters talk trash. If that's the case then no fighter have class. You're a idiot. They cheated Larry Holmes on that fight he lost duh.
Holmes was such a great fighter , so much quicker than I remembered and that jab is S I C K !! WOW one of the ATG"S ! Would have loved to see him in his prime vs. some of the current crop.
I'm white and I used to box and the only other time they introduced the champion first was jack Johnson but that was in his contract....this was some racial bullshit....Holmes won the fight and that's all that counts at the end if the day.
Cooney deserves a lot of credit. He hung tough and showed a lot of heart against one of the baddest and most underrated heavyweight champions ever. Having said that however Cooney did not fight a smart fight. He never once cut the ring off on Holmes, instead just followed Holmes wherever Holmes took him and he never once listened to Valle who implored him to move his head , crouch low and get inside and smother Holmes.
@@mongoslade277 Like I said Spinks beat him twice.He can't be that good🤔.Even if you think Holmes won that fight it shouldn't have been close if Holmes is that good.
@@martinfoster3426 What are you talking about?? Michael Spinks won an olympic gold medal. Undisputed light heavyweight champ. Lineal heavyweight champ. Ring magazine champ. Hall of fame boxer. What are you talking about??
Larry Holmes was one great fighter and a tremendous champion. Nobody should doubt his greatness. He really had it all and dodged nobody. The Holmes/Norton fight was definitely a great fight. I was really disappointed that Larry didn't retire undefeated. He coulda' and shoulda'. Unfortunately pride cometh before the fall." The old adage "there was never a horse who couldn't be rode and never a rider who couldn't be throwed" was just as true then as it is today. Regardless of how great you were at your best, if you stay long enough someone will beat you.
It's a shame that Gerry Cooney didn't progress further than he did. He gave Larry Holmes a very good fight here. It is often forgotten that Holmes' career went into a slow decline after this fight. He couldn't knock out Tex Cobb a few months later. He had major problems with TIm Witherspoon in 1983. Maybe Cooney took something out of Holmes.
+Lava1964 Cooney doesn't get the credit he deserves. He had a lot of untapped potential. If he had better handlers who got him more fights against quality fighters, he would have improved and been a force to reckon with. I always thought Cooney suffered from bad timing as well. He just happened to come along when one of the best and longest reigning champs was on top. Had he come along just a few years later when they were having the revolving door of champions pre-Tyson (Pinklon Thomas, Tony Tucker, Tony Tubbs, Tim Witherspoon, Trevor Berbick) I think he could/would have beaten most of those guys.
I have never ever seen a Championship fight where the Champion was introduced before the Challanger. It reminded me of the SI issue that previewed this fight. The front cover folded out to show Holmes and Cooney facing off. Of course it was Cooney the Challanger who had the Cover while Champion Holmes was folded inside. Can you imagine Ali disrespected that way. Larry was a truly great Champion.. Technically he was the very best. His heart was enormous and his skill was supreme.
Do you know why Cooney was featured for real or you just going to think it was racism? Cooney was the DRAW for this fight, Holmes was respected as champion but not particularly exciting. What came after the spinks losses was when heavyweight boxing got exciting again and that was Mike Tyson. His reign in the late 80s made people forget about this.
Watch the fight 4 years prior between Ken Norton and Larry Holmes. Ken Norton was the champ and he was introduced first I think this ring announcer Chuck Hull was none for making that mistake from time to time.
Not only that, President Reagan at the time, was to call Gerry Cooney after defeating Holmes, a telephone was put in Cooney's looker room after the fight so Reagan could call and congratulate him, but unfortunately Holmes didn't cooperate and knocked Cooney's ass out in the 13th Rd, so Cooney never got that call! Not only that when it was read that all 3 white judges for the fight had Cooney comfortably ahead, which is not true Holmes knocked him down in the 3rd round and beat his ass all the way into the 13th round, if Larry Holmes didn't knock him out he would of lost his title which if you view this whole fight Holmes was pitching a shut out!
wm young Holmes won but it was a good fight. Don't be mad at Gerry for all of the racial bullshit. None of that was his idea. Don King and another promoter brought race into it to sell more tickets. Gerry and Larry are both great people.
FSMNoodlyAppendage That might have been after the knockout round, which must have been scored 10-8. Without a 10-8 round, Cooney might have been in front.
FSMNoodlyAppendage he got his info from an interview done with chris rock about racism where he claims holmes had not knock out cooney otherwise he would have lost owing to white people rigging everything.
If you would have watched the fight and not listened to the knuckleheads Sugar gay. I watched the british broadcast. Holmes would throw a right hand that scores and they talk for half the rd about it while Cooney was beating him to the punch constantly. Me and my buddy counted points BODY SHOTS count.And Cooney hit him with massive amounts of them. The round that Cooney almost went down was one point. Cooney dominated the whole round.Holmes was not busy enough. The low blow was the turning point, Holmes was dead tired.
Cooney had a lot of potential. If the white racists were not so impatient and rushed him into a title fight and he had learned how to take punishment better and had learned how to fight better defensively, he may have been HW champ. But Holmes had the most important punch in boxing, the jab, which Holmes used to set up his right cross. Plus, Holmes' chin was underrated.
Eric Matterson Holmes' chin was underrated? I didn't know that. The dude took massive punishment, including a perfect right from the hardest puncher of all-time, Shavers, and got up and won the fight. Holmes had the best of chins, I don't see how anyone could miss that
This was a really good and competitive fight. Larry Holmes set the tempo early with the 2nd. Round knockdown but Cooney fought back in rounds 3,4,5 before being hurt again in round 6. Rounds 7, 8 were close and could have went either way. Everyone knew Holmes jab would be tough for Cooney to get around and it was but Cooney's jab was very effective as well. The 9th round Cooney's low blow with that left hook would have knock a wall down, how Holmes took that was incredible and He wasn't about to quit and he showed a lot of class by not coming back and trying to retailate. The 10th round was the best round of the fight with both fighters exchanging big shots. Who would have thought that Holmes would be the one landing the big power shots in this fight and Cooney would actually show people that he could box a lot better than given credit for. Rounds 11,12,13 Holmes took Cooney to deep water and the experience showed. It was a definning moment in Larry's career a fight that he had to win just as the Ali fight was. Gerry Cooney fought his ass off and he had nothing to be ashamed of. Gerry's mistake was he beat himself up to much after this fight. He should have been back in the ring within 6 months not over 2 years. Gerry would only fight 5 more times after this fight and when you consider he had knocked out Ron Lyle & Ken Norton in 1 round each going into this fight and those fights were back in December.80 & May 81. That's a whole lot of inactivity. I was a big Holmes fan and I watched all his fights and Gerry Cooney fought just as hard as anybody and he could punch. He wasn't no bum outside of Victor Vallie he didn't have good people around him. It's really good to see both Larry & Gerry are really good friends now and they have made some public apparences together.
Larry always said I’m not the greatest, but I’m the greatest right now. He punished Cooney all night. They were going to steal this one from Larry if he hadn’t got the TKO.
There are just an unbelievable amount of low blows thrown and landed by Cooney in this fight. Just baffling how it wasn't admonished until the 9th round. On the other hand, that right hand of Holmes in the 2nd round that made Bambi out of Cooney was brilliant.
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Gerry Cooney lives in my small town in NJ. For years I ran into him at the annual father-daughter dances when our kids were in Girl Scouts. The first year I went up to him with my daughter and said, Hey Champ - my daughter wanted to meet you. A huge smile formed on his face and he knelt down and said, "Great to meet ya! If any kids in school give you a problem, tell 'em you know me!" Great guy.
what if the other kid replied back : " Larry Holmes said the same thing to me!!!! "
Holmes was great but cooney was no bum
Nice story
Great story
@Websiteguy 2 Cooney needed to be taught how to fight big. Definitely had talent but who in their right mind teaches someone 6'5 to fight from a couch?
100 degrees at the start and still 89 by round 13. The fitness level of these guys is insane.
Amen. There's a lot to be said about all the roadwork and endless training and sparring they do.
Lo
Holmes as the champion was introduced FIRST, Cooney second?! Man the whole system so wanted Cooney to win this one. Kudos to Larry for reigning supreme for many years.
I'm glad the real man came out on top I don't like the way those boys box they can't box
Tyson kod Holmes brutally
@@MichaelLove-wl2ti an old ass Holmes who Don King paid to get up off the couch with hardly any training.. Any real boxing fan knows Larry Holmes is way above Tyson as an ATG
@@MichaelLove-wl2ti Lol... man... are you living in a hole somewhere? Look who the undisputed HW champion is right now.
This fight happened at the same time Rocky 3 came out.
RIP to my daddy we watched this fight together!
I was watching Chavez Taylor last night for the millionth time and remembering how I watched it with my Dad.
@Lars Poen Likewise!
Me too.
@@britishamerican4321 thats what this generation is missing they can sit in their rooms watch fights on their i pads. these fights were events that you would have go watch on closed circuit. i saw this fight with my dad and brothers at a drive in movie theater in smithtown ny on long island
@@bb-gc2tx Nice! And what a fight!
The Easton Assassin truly never got the full recognition that he rightfully deserved, from '78-86 he was the Man
No one following Ali was going to have it easy. I think he knows this and is at peace. He's one of the few that was smart with his money and is in good shape which I love.
@@darrellowings2343 facts
True. He deserved a title shot ahead of Leon Spinks when Ali ducked him knowing full well what Larry could do.
@@jamesanthony5681 absolutely, Ali knew that he wasn't Ali anymore and I believe knew that Larry would punish him. Far better for the legacy to drop the title to someone you can beat and make history on the way out.
Holmes was always in the shadow of Ali no matter what his record was, plus at that time people wanted their boxing champs to have a certain bravado like Ali did and Holmes didn’t have that, he was just a good solid fighter
I use to box when I was in the service. Anyone that has gone
more than 3 rounds knows how tough a sport this is.Your arms
feel like lead weights even if your in great shape.
It was hot as hell in that ring. Both of these guys were in superb
condition. I respect any man that fights for a living. Ali= The Greatest!
Incredibly hard sport - the entire body must be in peak shape just for training let alone a match - must deal with tremendous fear at all times as one punch can lead to another and another which can bring on total blackness
@@helloitsme98 Yes, it extremely exhausting.
Very true.
After three rounds and you felt like that, you only thought you were in great shape.🤣
It takes a lot of discipline to get to fight for a title much respect to both men
Larry Holmes came after Ali and because of that, he never really got his just due as a champion, but Holmes is one of the greatest fighters in boxing history.
Some huge boots to fill, but he was the man to do it
@rickeygj Before Tyson*
It didn't help that' he also battered Ali to a pulp, when Ali was well past his beat.
AGREE
True.
I remember this fight. I was 11 years old watching the fight with my uncle & cousins. We were rooting for Larry Holmes. Two weeks later ABC reboardcasted the fight in prime time. Last of the Classic 15 rounder.
You have to credit Holmes for his performance. The atmosphere was extremely volatile and he was in absolute control of his emotions. Unbelievable performance!
They interviewed him about this years later. Once that bell rung, all the bullshit goes out the window and it was just him and his opponent. Just another guy to knock out.
@GustavusAdolphus1 If you read my quote, I said, "the atmosphere " was volatile. I never excused Holmes behavior. Don King wanted it that way. Everyone was part of that. Let's have the discussion without resorting to name calling and accusations.
@GustavusAdolphus1 I never denied Holmes's responsibility in that climate. I won't exonerate Rappaport and Jones either. I only admired Larry's in ring work.
@Jack Smith
They wanted the Great White Hope Cooney to win badly...lol
@GustavusAdolphus1 The fitgh wasn't even close, the white hope got whooped.
All of these people saying Gerry Cooney sucked are idiots, if you are a professional athlete in any sport you don't suck. Larry Holmes was a better boxer and beat Cooney fair and square, but that doesn't mean that he sucked. I think both of these fighters are underrated, Larry Holmes especially.
Cooney wasn't no joke...knocked people out tough guy.
In the run up to this fight Cooney beat Jimmy Young, Ron Lyle and Ken Norton.
Gerry only beat old men and was low blowing the hell outta Holmes. Gerry is trash
@@bunnymanmoe8819 go fight him then
@@SouthernSociology He ducking me.
As much old boxing and old sports in general I've watched on RUclips in recent years, this is the first time I've watched this one. Holmes looks as disciplined as ever in how he boxed Cooney into submission. It was also perhaps the best shape I can see Holmes was in during his '80s career. At the same time, Cooney proved himself to be no tomato can for his troubles. He had but one weapon -- the left hook -- but he used it to score many times on this night. Holmes was the underrated champion (because of who he succeeded) and this was the ultimate underrated fight of the '80s.
No slick snyde jokes to laugh about just using total boxing ability I'm glad Larry won
Sometimes people forget what a great champion Larry Holmes was.
Stood toe to toe with Shavers trading punches and was floored by him , only for him to get up in Ali fashion and continue for 15 rounds by which time Shavers punched himself out.
I was just thinking that which is why I had to see this fight again.
I'd put lean, young Holmes against anyone before or since
I don't have cash but I'm giving Larry credit. He's a top 5 Heavyweight.
In the top 3, you can count lennox lewis
8 years later but hell yeah man. He's one of the absolute best to ever do it
This fight was a fix
@@johnathandoe6916 What?? Troll alert!!!
Who's in your top 5?
This is the first time I actually watched the whole fight. I always dismissed Gerry Cooney as another over-hyped Great White Hope,but after watching the fight I can see the level of skills he had,especially after watching Deontay Wilder against Fury. Gerry threw good combos,used his jab,worked the body,etc. Larry stayed calm and picked him apart. It was a good fight with both guys showing talent,heart and courage!
I've been making this claim among a few boxing threads. The current heavyweight division is just too big to be as athletic as the older ones. There needs to be a super heavyweight division. The game is just too based on pure size anymore and grappling tactics
@@trevorboyer2731 The current HW division is the superheavyweight division dude. Cruiser is effectively heavy, but again great fighters can overcome size. AJ looks like a bodybuilder got brutally stopped by RUiz, Chisora is a SHW got boxed his head off by Usyk . Great Heavies will come but they will likely not be American. Look at Erislandy Savon, Bakhodir Jalolov, and Dainier Pero. They will be great if all were pros. Richie Torres is not half bad either. Cooner was 6 6 230, that's super. Believe it or not there was super heavies in the old school., they just got beaten by the better boxers. The division stagnated but let it come. Also most of these guys can't grapple. Old school fighting had grappling as a form of infighting. There's no true infighters at heavy. Sixe is not insurmountable, Clemente Russo showed that many times in amateurs, and so did Mihai Nistor and Igor Vysotsky. Amateurs is so underrated you really see styles clash there and there's no cherry picking.
I bet you love white women too smh
@@thebiggestbrookmonkfan 😁😁😁😁🤪🤪🤪😆😆😆
@@matthiasi8292 I don't think Larry was in his prime at that time. He was going on 33 years old and was starting to use his legs at that point. A larry Holmes around 1979, 80 was in his prime.
Holmes is very underrated, definitely one of the best ever Heavyweights top 5
Underrated. Yes he was. I always liked him and I believed he was much better than they liked to admit.
Rocky Balboa is the goat hands down
I don't think he was ever underrated. He was world champion for many years and everyone knows what a great boxer he was
I met Gerry twice....a real gracious guy....it was a pleasure to meet him both times...
Did he give u an autograph or does he charge for that ?
@@chairlesnicol672congratulations you won stupidest reply ever.....
I'd love to meet him. Gentleman Gerry. Glad he never got too hurt and is now doing good work and just being a good guy.
Did you take your meds?…No?…take them.
I’m glad Larry won. He truly deserved it. But I’ve got to say...For a guy who never really was tested by a legitimate top 10 heavyweight, to go 13 relatively competitive rounds with a prime Larry Holmes... Cooney did alright!
totally agree!!! larry holmes is a top 5 legend. To go 13 with him is very impressive
Prime? Larry Holmes was 32. Well past his prime. And toyed with the guy most if the fight. What the hell were you people watching? Judging the fight with your heart, not with your eyes. Giving Cooney credit for not being knocked out early doesntbmake it a competitive fight.
@@petersd314when was prime larry Holmes
Larry Holmes was so underated, i think he was one of the Best Heavyweight Champs ever !
Damn right he was. Easily in the top five of all time but I have him somewhere between second and fourth best ever.
@@tommackay7433 ....probably second best ever ....I agree
@@shawndayvis6169 If only he had fought Foreman or Fraizer, we would know for sure.
Holmes top 5 on everyone's all-time list.
Tom MacKay foreman didn’t want any
Larry Holmes last boxing match was 20 years after this fight! Legend
So he's 32 yrs old here , plus 20 more made him 52 on last fight, sound about right does it, according to your statement! Lol
Against Butterbean.
and Butterbean could not knock him out.
'82 was Holmes at his peak, even at 32. Saw him train in Vegas and he was all business.
Great try to create some link between marciano and Cooney no please stop each individual is his or her individual Cooney's boxing style is nothing like marcianos
Much more competitive fight than I remember it being. Cooney had a lot of heart. But you gotta give Larry credit - that great left jab of his. Larry is so underrated as a champion.
18:38 & 1:04:25 - 1:04:40
Cooney had two great fights in his career, the win over Young, and this loss. He got beat by a motivated Holmes in his prime, but Gerry never showed this much heart and determination. Before, or after.
Holmes was definitely underrated. Top 5 atg heavy.
You are right! He was just as good as Ali. He was so fast and had a stinging slapping jab! He had no fear except against Tyson, but who wouldn't have. He was an old man when he fought Tyson and Mike was in his prime!
He was NOT as good as Ali. C'mon man! Go back and watch Ali in 1966-67. That Ali beats everyone.
When I started to watch boxing Muhammad Ali did retire and done but after Ali my two favorite boxers is Larry Holmes and marvin hagler
George Foreman was asked in an interview who was the hardest puncher he was ever up against. The interviewer was shocked when George said, "Gerry Cooney". Regardless of all of the comments here, this was a great heavyweight fight. A lot of action.
He said he was one of three along with Lyle and Williams, and he didn't actually rank them by who he thought hit hardest. Though, he did mentioned that Lyle was his toughest fight.
SOMETHING FROM THE NY TIMES, post press conference. With Cooney sitting nearby, he said: ''Gerry is a fighter, he surprised me and I think he surprised a lot of people. If he ever gets Rappaport out of his corner, he'll be all right.''
''I hope Gerry has no hard feelings. I hope his family is proud of him. Nobody in the world could have beaten Gerry Cooney last night but Larry Holmes.'' IT SEEMS LIKE HOLMES WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO KNEW WHAT WAS HAPPENING.
He said ?? Who is "he" ?
It was great to hear my grandpa voice it's been so long. I forgot what he sounded like. Gerry was everything to my grandfather he treated him like a son.
Sorry Gerry lost but the best man win Larry.
Wow he was a great trainer.
Your grandpa saved Gerry Cooney’s life.
The way he he jumped in to stop the fight...its easy to see how much he cared for his fighter....the ref was gonna let it go on but your pap stopped any more damage to his fighter. He didn't hesitate. That's showing intelligence, care. and class. It was a great fight.
Your grandfather was one of the best
Larry Holmes was the great 15 rounder.He knew how to pace himself and had a great chin and was a very clever boxer.The best in my eyes.Jim.Liverpol.
He never fought anyone tough.And when he did he lost.Holy macro Michael Spinks beat him not once but twice for crying out loud🤔!!Gimmi a break-PLEASE
I believe he was the most underrated fighter in our time. Really like the guy. A gentleman.
@@martinfoster3426 Please. Larry Holmes was pretty much done at 36 when he fought Mike Spinks who was, what, 29?
Larry Holmes beat everyone he faced in his rise and during his prime years - including Cooney; however, he never faced George Foreman who had left boxing when Larry got his title shot. If he had faced and beaten Foreman in both their primes, then a rock-solid case could be made for Holmes to be included amongst the top (5?) heavyweights of the 20th century.
Holmes had Eddie Futch and Ray Arcel in his corner !!!
Gerry Cooney was mediocre at best lost all of his big fights beat hand picked past prime opponents
I'm glad that Larry is finally starting to get the recognition he deserves. I still don't understand why he was continually disrespected throughout his career. Thanks for the replay!
he was disrespected because he wasn't a pretty fighter. His form wasn't entertaining to watch. He was effective and thats really all that matters. Felix Trinidad was one of the ugliest fighters i've ever seen, yet he dusted so many people.
*****
I just always thought he looked so sloppy. Just my opinion.
Blastaar7
Yeah, you have a point. He didn't try to be pretty or entertaining; the first time I saw him, I remember thinking that he looked like Frankenstein.
The only thing on his mind was the moment and that amazing jab.
*****
Oh i didn't say he was ineffective. I'm just talking about the optics of it. He looked mad sloppy, to the point where i was like "wtf, how is he KOing all these people?"
Holmes was disrespected because the guy was a first class jerk and the people who knew him didn't like him. Was he a great fighter? Yes. But, you can't earn respect with just your fists. How you treat others goes a long way.
Great upload. The build up to this fight was massive at the time. Holmes still hadn't gotten the acknowledgement he warranted as an outstanding champion back then. Cooney showed much more talent/heart/balls than most had expected. 25 years old at the time. Imagine how far he could have gone with the right handling. That these guys remain friends 40 years on speaks volumes.
Great comment as I've always thought that his handlers/trainers were his ultimate downfall !!!###
Great fight, much respect for both of those legends of the sport, huge credit to Mr. Holmes on a great win.
I have a lot of sympathy for the Great Champion, Larry Holmes. He never really did get his due, and you can tell in after-fight interviews, he really longed for that. He shouldn't have had to give himself credit, he was an exceptional boxer.
I work with a lot of people that brag on themselves. I was always taught if you have to brag on yourself you are not worth a damn. Not saying that about holmes
@@kevinhaley6776 Larry Holmes could have probably beaten up whoever taught you that. Not saying that he should have.
@@Shane661 you brag on yourself too?
he wasn't a good talker but he was a great boxer!
ملاكم لا يملك أي اخلاق اكرهه عندما استهزاء بمحمد علي عندما كان بئنهما نزال ومحمد على مريض 😢
Gerry fought as well against Larry Holmes as any challenger up to this point.
Larry was one of the best pure talents to ever hold the title.
+Robert Clary I always thought that Homes was an underrated champion, but he had 20 title defenses and took on all comers. Some of those were criticized as set-ups but he gave every one of those challengers a shot at the title. And some of the opponents were damn tough, including Shavers, Ali, Spinks, Cobb, Berbick, Witherspoon, and of course Cooney. Holmes didn't hide behind his belt. Gotta give him credit for putting his title on the line against any challenger.
Are you kidding me? Both Norton and Shavers just to mention a few gave Holmes a much better fight than Cooney. Do your research before you comment!
Robert Clary I 💯agree on Larry being one of the best very under appreciated as a champ Truly thk top 5 HW
Cooney was a fluke he hit the lotto to get the shot look good losing go back to long island NY
No one held the title seven years heavyweight period fought all knocked down get up win who did that heavy weight
As a white teenager growing up on the edge of a small town, I wanted Holmes to win this fight. I was a boxing fan first, and worked out in a boxing gym. Race meant nothing to me. Merit meant everything. Holmes was a true champion, a fighter with great skill, who didn't get the credit he deserved. Cooney was a somewhat protected fighter who had knocked out old men, and should barely have been ranked in the top 10.
To Gerry's credit, he lasted longer than I thought. I figured if Larry could take Shavers best shot, he could take Gerry's, and it was only a matter of time before Larry used his vast experience and far more developed skills to pick Cooney apart, and Gerry would collapse from exhaustion and repeated shots from Holmes in the mid rounds. Using his size, ability to get his punches off, and last as long as he did earned Gerry respect from me. But the result was never in doubt in my mind, and there was a celebration in my house after Larry finished him off.
Sadly, even after this win people still questioned if Larry was really that great of a champion. Folks, he really was. True boxing fans knew it then, and remember it that way. I rank him as the #3 all time HW, behind only Louis and Ali. He was that good.
Cooney really did look old at 25
I think you may have struck a nerve of truth, you posted a great comment and yet there is little response from "Cooney fans" (emphasis on the quotations).
People who aren’t racist don’t feel the need to let us know they aren’t racist.
This version of Holmes was beast. His jab and his one two where as good Ali’s but stronger imo. Holmes was undefeated for 20 defenses so this is one of his best fights. Cooney was a savage. You had to get through him in the 80s just to be considered a real one. A lot of people say he hit hard af. Holmes is a disrespectful d bag. But I feel like this Holmes would be trouble for prime mike. Prime Ali would beat Holmes
WHAT ABOUT ROCKY YOU FUCKIN NIGGA LOVA
Always come back to watch Larry man, that jab was an absolute thing of beauty… probably one the greatest jabs in boxing history. Coupled with that viscous right Holmes always brought the heat. The last TRUE lineal HW champ Larry Holmes; what a fighter and what a legend of the sport 💪
Larry Holmes could fight!
Great jab, great right cross, great champion!
This fight was more competitive than I thought it was.
Even though he lost many say it was Cooney's best fight.
@@jogman262 It was.
It was his career defining fight. This and his loss to Foreman (which really was the nail in the coffin for him).
No it wasn't! Holmes jabbed all the way to a knock out!
Wow, Cooney was one tough dude with some serious power, speed and boxing ability. Holmes looks superb here though and still had the energy in the later rounds. Both great competitors
Holmes is the most underrated heavyweight ever. Cooney was a really good fighter who definitely made a great fight out of this. You can say whatever you want about Cooney’s troubles after this fight that derailed his career but on this night, he fought great, just a step below an all time great like Holmes.
Correct, and Cooney the most overrated. The problem with Cooney was'nt what happened after, but DURING this fight. Holmes basically pitched a shutout.
looks like they should have DQ'd Jerry ' the bum ' at 4:10 for a VERY low blow
correction, 47:10
perhaps one of the greatest examples of disrespect was when they introduced Larry Holmes first.
I'll never forget that. I remember it like it was yesterday. I was in college (1982) arguing with most of my White football teammates that Cooney was a bum. I said it then and I'll repeat it now. But, what hurt me was that Ali and Bill Cosby picked Cooney to win. Many ppl thought he would win. I didn't he was a stiff.
*****
his chin was exposed. holmes gave him too much respect. he probably could have ko'd him in the 2nd rd
Robert Williams Either you have very idiosyncratic definition of "bum" (a world class boxer just below the top tier?) or you're an idiot. There is no third possibility.
Of the ~58,000 who have watched this video, I'd wager heavily not one could last five rounds against Cooney in his prime.
You remind me of those dipshits in the 90's who referred to the Chicago Bulls as "Jordan and the losers".
*****
yes Gerry would beat probably all 58,000 people who have watch this video. his problem was he couldnt beat the top contenders and champions of his Era. he wasnt a bum but he was nothing more than average.
***** Average relative to whom? And you're just empirically dead wrong about him not beating top contenders - how do you think he got to be ranked number one? For Christs's sake just look at this fight. He gave Holmes - arguably among the top ten of all time - a very close fight before being knocked out in the last round.
A little question: what are you really good at? What do you do anywhere near as well as Cooney boxed?
first one announced but the last one standing...LARRY HOLMES
muh opprission
spinks agrees. lol.
@@atheistleopard2484 wich one lol if you are talking about Mike spinks, yes Larry standed straight and on his feet in both fights ;) the referee decided to give the victorys to spinks ( espcially the second one ) cause they probably didn't wanted to brake the record of a white man legend.
Larry Holmes was a brilliant boxer never got the respect he deserves
@@johnhepburn463 He should have deserve to finish his career with 50-0 but he never had the popularity of Ali, the medias didn't like him and they pushed average people who watched boxing on tv to not like him either...
This was Holmes' best fight. I think he even said this once before. Cooney was a real threat, and given the number of belts scattered around in the 1980s, had Cooney not had his troubles out of the ring he likely would have held one or two of them eventually. This was a much better fight than people thought at the time.
Only for five more times after this fight and lost two of them and one was to Michael Spinks Who was a shot fighter at the time. Gerry Cooney I was never the same after this fight, he never got a belt.
@James Lee that was an amazing fight. Holmes had a bad elbow that he fought through, if memory serves. That might be why he said the Cooney fight was his best, because he was at his best.
Disagree with this comment. Holmes was on the down already IMO. He was already at the point that he couldn't fight a full 3 minutes of every round and had already been starched by shavers and snipes. I firmly believe that the best holmes we ever saw was for Ali, shame that it was wasted on someone so shot.
I don't Think Cooney would have been Champion tbh. Too Slow and only used His left arm. He relied on a knockout and savvy fighters found him out. Its interesting that His previous Two fights before Holmes were one round Knockouts against Ron Lyle and Ken Norton , who were way over the hill by then
My favorite fighter of all time Larry Holmes, never got the credit he deserved in this fight except from sugar ray.
Sugar Ray is a disaster as an analyst. Loved him as a fighter but he flip flops with whichever way the wind is blowing. Holmes was a great champion but he was lucky to reign in an era with no real competition.
@@MoMoMyPup10 Yes, he wasn't good as an analyst. A lot of fighters avoided Holmes. Ali fought Leon Spinks at a time when Holmes was more deserving of a title shot.
Mike Tyson WAS lucky to reign in an era with no real competition. Who did Mike beat of consequence?
The best heavyweights of the past 80 years, in no particular order of greatness:
Joe Louis
Muhammad Ali
Rocky Marciano
George Foreman
Larry Holmes
@@jlmartinez8482 Yes he was. Ali avoided him when Larry should have gotten a title shot in the mid '70's. He's in my top 5 of all time.
@@jlmartinez8482 but what about 67? Hypothetical but I see too many ppl trying to get away with subtly hinting at Holmes beating Ali at his best.
@@jlmartinez8482 agreed. Even so, Ali had was STILL competent enough up to Manilla in 75. I think that version of him could get the win too against Holmes in a decision.
As an intense heavyweight fight fan since Floyd Patterson beat Archie Moore in 1956, I am impressed with the quality of observations and analyses made by public boxing enthusiasts here at this site. A hearty congratulations to the preparers of this high quality video of a great heavyweight bout. In addition, I was blessed to be at ringside at Caesar's Palace that blistering 100°F evening in the desert in May 1982 and witnessed this fight ....live. At ringside, I observed how the Champion counter punched the challenger at will in the early rounds until he knocked the challenger down in round 2 or 3. The speed, accuracy and intensity of the Champion's jabs and combinations overwhelmed the challenger to the extent that he resorted to throwing his vaunted "money" left hook below the belt of the Champion, striking his testicles about 20 times until the fight was stopped for almost 5 minutes in the 9th round. The challenger was repeated warned by referee, Mills Lane. Significantly, there was fear and talk that the fight might be stopped and the challenger disqualified. But the everyone at ringside understood that the challenger was panicked and the revenues from the money gate were the largest in history at that time. Of course, the Champion prevailed in the 13th round with a TKO and went on to a 48-0 record before losing a split- decision to Michael Spinks.
Cooney's problem was he was knocking people out fast and not building the endurance for late round fights. He actually fought a pretty good fight, but you can see the wind coming out of his sail as the fight progressed into the late rounds.
This is at the tail end of Larry's prime and this version of Holmes is one of the Top 3 heavyweights of all-time.
to have a trainer care about you the way that he displayed his love for cooney in that hug is special man
sorry folks, respect for Cooney yet I just love Holmes, as a boxer he has been one of the very best. And as a human being as well, the way he handled the Ali fight
U have to prove greatness Holmes couldn't fill the seats like Ali because he came to fight second best after Ali
Given the lack of real experience , Cooney did better than most give him credit for ...he was miss handled . the 10th rd. was classic .
Because all Cooney did was low blow. That is not boxing. Cooney is trash
Not to mention that Gerry had no right hand to do real damage -- which is unfortunate for him and for this level.
But Larry took his best shots and certainly dished out his own ... the rest is history.
damn this fight was a little better than i remember!!!!
The thing I remember most about this fight is the nasty build up before the fight.
Great performance by Holmes - simply a different level of fighter.
Holmes won forget about the build up and pre fight stuff Holmes cut him down plain n simple
@MichaelLove-wl2ti I've already said Holmes was the better fighter. Seems like you've only read half my comment.
Damn . . . it was 1982 . . . I was 10 years old . . . I was a white boy . . . I was watching this live on television . . . and I was rooting for Larry. Fucking. Holmes.
+lotanddaughters Did it piss off your parents?
No. They rooted for Holmes.
Holmes chin was on display in the 3rd and 4th. Even still, you can see that Cooney could punch. Holmes was a tough guy
I remember when Foreman was on Late Night w David Letterman and he asked him who the hardest punchers were. He said Ronnie Lyle, Cleveland Williams (sparring partner) and Cooney. Letterman laughed in shock but Foreman reaffirmed it. The guy was 6'5 and moved well with good speed and athleticism for his size.
Just not in that last round. He was throwing slaps from the start. You could tell he was done.
Cooney was a very good fighter. He wasn't great but he was certainly no bum. He proved here he belonged fighting for the championship of the world and Larry Holmes proved he was a worthy holder of that title. Im glad the two are still friends long after the fight. Thanks to both men.
Cooney is one of the nicest guys to ever come out of the sport. To this day he is still a very humble guy.
Fuck Cooney. If he was a real man, he wouldn't have brought his bum ass out last. Champs always come out last, and that Racist bastard agreed to come out first so fuck him
Jay Day ehhhhh shuuudduupp. Stay on lockdown and never come out.
@@BAR-ct7ti truth hurts, huh, dumb ass. And it's not so bad inside because I don't have to run into Racist assholes, like you, and Cooney.
OK, Gay Day...Your "truth" is not my truth. The word "racist" has no credibility anymore. Especially in 2020. SJW's claim milk is racist because it's white, and frankly no one likes a big baby like yourself crying about everything being "racist" all the time. Only racists obsess over race...FACT.
@@BAR-ct7ti So true people really need to google what being a racist actually means
This is the highest quality footage i've seen of a fight from that era. Much appreciated!
Cooney was more competitive than I remember - he fought Holmes at the top of his game and put a good account of himself up. Also, Holmes fought a VERY smart fight, he was an excellent fighter
Two of the judges had this fight 113-111 at the time of the stoppage. I can't believe they had it that close.
That why Holmes stopped him they might have robbed him he had to finish him decisively good job larry
I recall this fight well. I so wanted Larry Holmes to win - he was such a great champion with so many successful defences.
so disrespectful. larry holmes is one of the greatest unrecognized fighters in boxing history
True
What was disrespectful is what Holmes said about Marciano.Talk about no class. After he said Marciano couldn't even hold his jockstrap he lost.😀
@@martinfoster3426 What does that have to do with this? All fighters talk trash. If that's the case then no fighter have class. You're a idiot.
They cheated Larry Holmes on that fight he lost duh.
@@bunnymanmoe8819 sure they all talk trash to berate a great fighter like Rocky Marciano give me a break you're the fool
@@martinfoster3426 Bull shit
Larry Homes aka The most underrated champion
Cooney himself was a humble person
Especially after that complete butt whipping...
@@itsnomyth144thsnd3 and before
A good ass whoopin will humble you.
@@truthmatters142 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Yes, he and Homes become close friends
Such a classic fight. Cooney had my respect even in loosing to Holmes.
Holmes was such a great fighter , so much quicker than I remembered and that jab is S I C K !! WOW one of the ATG"S ! Would have loved to see him in his prime vs. some of the current crop.
LARRY IN HIS PRIME WOULD WIPE THE FLOORS WITH THE CURRENT CROP OF HEAVYWEIGHTS TODAY - EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM ! !
@@JamesJackson-xd7jq no doubt
James Jackson Totally agree , he would destroy the top ten inside the distance . Heavyweight boxing is the weakest it’s ever been
Great fight. Great hype. One of the biggest fights of the 80's.
Holmes you made us very proud on this night!!!
Thanks, buddy. It's fun to see the footage leading up to the fight itself and remember watching it live many yrs ago
Larry Holmes one of the Top three Heavyweights of all time
Gerry's coach was great for throwing the towel in instead of letting him get beat needlessly. Respect both fighters
certainly a good ma even tho i didn't like hear him say about holmes " this guy is a shit, he is a little shit". Larry proved him if he was a shit ;)
Holmes never got his just recognition. He never could fully escape Ali's shadow.
Legendary performance by both fighters. I must admit that Larry Holmes, is true champion but Garry, is worrier .👏👏👌🙌
And how the hell does Holmes get introduced FIRST being the champion??? Are you kidding me??? TOTAL disrespect....
Right...
How does Holmes get introduced 1st? He's the Champ....
I'm white and I used to box and the only other time they introduced the champion first was jack Johnson but that was in his contract....this was some racial bullshit....Holmes won the fight and that's all that counts at the end if the day.
Shawn Dayvis Norton was introduced first vs Holmes, too, when Holmes took the championship.
@Midnight*sunlighT oh Midnight they invented everything we enjoy in the world today
@Midnight*sunlighT where did the airplane automobile telescope microscope fax machine smart phone computer come from Haiti LMFAO
Cooney deserves a lot of credit. He hung tough and showed a lot of heart against one of the baddest and most underrated heavyweight champions ever. Having said that however Cooney did not fight a smart fight. He never once cut the ring off on Holmes, instead just followed Holmes wherever Holmes took him and he never once listened to Valle who implored him to move his head , crouch low and get inside and smother Holmes.
Nothing better than championship boxing especially the heavyweights, Holmes is a great CHAMPION and so underrated What class from the CHAMPION
Fast hands and a great chin. Holmes is still on of the best.
Maybe in the top 15.Maybe-if you recall he lost to Spinks not once but twice .🤔🤭
@@martinfoster3426 by the Spinks fight Holmes was past his best.
@@martinfoster3426 Yoiu obviously didn't see that 2nd Michael Spinks vs Holmes fight if you think Spinks "won". 🤔
@@mongoslade277 Like I said Spinks beat him twice.He can't be that good🤔.Even if you think Holmes won that fight it shouldn't have been close if Holmes is that good.
@@martinfoster3426 What are you talking about?? Michael Spinks won an olympic gold medal. Undisputed light heavyweight champ. Lineal heavyweight champ. Ring magazine champ. Hall of fame boxer. What are you talking about??
Larry Holmes was one great fighter and a tremendous champion. Nobody should doubt his greatness. He really had it all and dodged nobody. The Holmes/Norton fight was definitely a great fight. I was really disappointed that Larry didn't retire undefeated. He coulda' and shoulda'. Unfortunately pride cometh before the fall." The old adage "there was never a horse who couldn't be rode and never a rider who couldn't be throwed" was just as true then as it is today. Regardless of how great you were at your best, if you stay long enough someone will beat you.
We’ll the money he was being offered was too good to be turned down
One of the best jabs ever, fabulous boxer
Sugar Ray was killin um with the glasses! Lol
his outfit is always on point
I can just picture my Dad watching this fight while he himself is punching the air like HE’S Boxing!!! ❤️❤️
Holmes left jab...best ever in the heavyweight division!
His left jab was far from best ever in heavy weight
Ali ??
Who had a better one?
Possibly Lewis but I wouldn't argue much about that tbh.
1gitarz not true. Ali's was better by far
It's a shame that Gerry Cooney didn't progress further than he did. He gave Larry Holmes a very good fight here. It is often forgotten that Holmes' career went into a slow decline after this fight. He couldn't knock out Tex Cobb a few months later. He had major problems with TIm Witherspoon in 1983. Maybe Cooney took something out of Holmes.
+Lava1964 Cooney doesn't get the credit he deserves. He had a lot of untapped potential. If he had better handlers who got him more fights against quality fighters, he would have improved and been a force to reckon with. I always thought Cooney suffered from bad timing as well. He just happened to come along when one of the best and longest reigning champs was on top. Had he come along just a few years later when they were having the revolving door of champions pre-Tyson (Pinklon Thomas, Tony Tucker, Tony Tubbs, Tim Witherspoon, Trevor Berbick) I think he could/would have beaten most of those guys.
+1981lashlarue You know your stuff! I agree completely.
Thank you very much! You do as well!
Credit to Gerry for fighting the best prime version of Holmes.
I have never ever seen a Championship fight where the Champion was introduced before the Challanger. It reminded me of the SI issue that previewed this fight. The front cover folded out to show Holmes and Cooney facing off. Of course it was Cooney the Challanger who had the Cover while Champion Holmes was folded inside. Can you imagine Ali disrespected that way. Larry was a truly great Champion.. Technically he was the very best. His heart was enormous and his skill was supreme.
Ali would've said something and let them know, lol!
Do you know why Cooney was featured for real or you just going to think it was racism? Cooney was the DRAW for this fight, Holmes was respected as champion but not particularly exciting. What came after the spinks losses was when heavyweight boxing got exciting again and that was Mike Tyson. His reign in the late 80s made people forget about this.
The Great White Hype is what America wanted.
Watch the fight 4 years prior between Ken Norton and Larry Holmes. Ken Norton was the champ and he was introduced first I think this ring announcer Chuck Hull was none for making that mistake from time to time.
Not only that, President Reagan at the time, was to call Gerry Cooney after defeating Holmes, a telephone was put in Cooney's looker room after the fight so Reagan could call and congratulate him, but unfortunately Holmes didn't cooperate and knocked Cooney's ass out in the 13th Rd, so Cooney never got that call! Not only that when it was read that all 3 white judges for the fight had Cooney comfortably ahead, which is not true Holmes knocked him down in the 3rd round and beat his ass all the way into the 13th round, if Larry Holmes didn't knock him out he would of lost his title which if you view this whole fight Holmes was pitching a shut out!
They surely disrespected Holmes prior to this fight. The challenger normally gets introduced first, not last. Very disrespectful to the champion.
Exactly...they thought Cooney was the real-life Rocky!!! I'm glad Holmes beat that ass!!!
wm young Holmes won but it was a good fight. Don't be mad at Gerry for all of the racial bullshit. None of that was his idea. Don King and another promoter brought race into it to sell more tickets. Gerry and Larry are both great people.
lasoogneypubes They’re also good friends today.
@@alaza61 lol...true dat
@@NyQuilDonut I didn't say anything about who was a good person, or blame Larry's opponent. I said I'm glad Larry won the fight.
Larry Holmes was kind of underrated. IMO he's a top 3 Heavyweight All Time.
Who are you comparing him to? I'm curious not as to you have at number 1 but who you have at 4 and 5.
Youre on drugs. Look what ken norton and spinks did to holmes..but hes top 3? Gtfo of here
@@austinlittke5580 lol Casual
I Enjoyed this program.... Thanks for Sharing
i always thought Cooney was very underrated and never really got his dues!
@bert fromarketin he was a hell of a puncher but he lick of defense.
Wins gives a fighter his due unless going the distance with Champions!
He has gotten his dues just the era he was fighting in has alot to do with it
very good boxing, larry holmes is a beast. cooney had heart
This fight was one of the biggest in boxing history
41 years ago! This video must surpass 1 million views!
Amazing how every judge had Cooney winning before the knockout!
Holmes had to knock him out to win this fight.
FSMNoodlyAppendage That might have been after the knockout round, which must have been scored 10-8.
Without a 10-8 round, Cooney might have been in front.
FSMNoodlyAppendage he got his info from an interview done with chris rock about racism where he claims holmes had not knock out cooney otherwise he would have lost owing to white people rigging everything.
Nope, Holmes was ahead on all three cards before the knockout
shelleyinthecity merchant said it was racial
If you would have watched the fight and not listened to the knuckleheads Sugar gay. I watched the british broadcast. Holmes would throw a right hand that scores and they talk for half the rd about it while Cooney was beating him to the punch constantly. Me and my buddy counted points BODY SHOTS count.And Cooney hit him with massive amounts of them. The round that Cooney almost went down was one point. Cooney dominated the whole round.Holmes was not busy enough. The low blow was the turning point, Holmes was dead tired.
15 rounds of Boxing in 90 degree heat, were these people CRAZY?!?!
They thought they could recapture The Thrilla in Manilla. :-)
Nah this is what folks train for. remember 10 million a piece. Folks would fight on the sun for that today
+owen O'Neill they got 10 million back in 82
This was prime Holmes, at his absolute peak here.
There was nothing greater in life than a Prime Larry Holmes
Sugar Ray Leonard a classy analysis of this fight,very fair,balanced,measured,and incisive.
Larry Holmes is the Man!!👊🏾💪🏾
1:08:51 Holmes drinking a beer after the fight which he sure did earn. LOL
Holmes - great fighter & class act.
Cooney had a lot of potential. If the white racists were not so impatient and rushed him into a title fight and he had learned how to take punishment better and had learned how to fight better defensively, he may have been HW champ.
But Holmes had the most important punch in boxing, the jab, which Holmes used to set up his right cross. Plus, Holmes' chin was underrated.
Eric Matterson Come on... Don't answer racism with racism... You're better than that.
ValladaoMateus Yeah, you are right. He's not worth my two seconds out of my life
Eric Matterson True! That word doesn't dictate what you are as a person.
Eric Matterson Holmes' chin was underrated? I didn't know that. The dude took massive punishment, including a perfect right from the hardest puncher of all-time, Shavers, and got up and won the fight. Holmes had the best of chins, I don't see how anyone could miss that
George Foreman said Cooney was one of the hardest punchers he ever faced
This was a really good and competitive fight. Larry Holmes set the tempo early with the 2nd. Round knockdown but Cooney fought back in rounds 3,4,5 before being hurt again in round 6. Rounds 7, 8 were close and could have went either way. Everyone knew Holmes jab would be tough for Cooney to get around and it was but Cooney's jab was very effective as well. The 9th round Cooney's low blow with that left hook would have knock a wall down, how Holmes took that was incredible and He wasn't about to quit and he showed a lot of class by not coming back and trying to retailate. The 10th round was the best round of the fight with both fighters exchanging big shots. Who would have thought that Holmes would be the one landing the big power shots in this fight and Cooney would actually show people that he could box a lot better than given credit for. Rounds 11,12,13 Holmes took Cooney to deep water and the experience showed. It was a definning moment in Larry's career a fight that he had to win just as the Ali fight was. Gerry Cooney fought his ass off and he had nothing to be ashamed of. Gerry's mistake was he beat himself up to much after this fight. He should have been back in the ring within 6 months not over 2 years. Gerry would only fight 5 more times after this fight and when you consider he had knocked out Ron Lyle & Ken Norton in 1 round each going into this fight and those fights were back in December.80 & May 81. That's a whole lot of inactivity. I was a big Holmes fan and I watched all his fights and Gerry Cooney fought just as hard as anybody and he could punch. He wasn't no bum outside of Victor Vallie he didn't have good people around him. It's really good to see both Larry & Gerry are really good friends now and they have made some public apparences together.
Larry always said I’m not the greatest, but I’m the greatest right now. He punished Cooney all night. They were going to steal this one from Larry if he hadn’t got the TKO.
There are just an unbelievable amount of low blows thrown and landed by Cooney in this fight. Just baffling how it wasn't admonished until the 9th round. On the other hand, that right hand of Holmes in the 2nd round that made Bambi out of Cooney was brilliant.
Moments like this make you proud to be black, sad to see what the state of black America has gone too.