@@Rico-ow3ys He usually gets solid reviews from Boxing historians. But quality of opposition was biggest question mark . Most of his wins were over fighters like Evangelista,Ocasio,Zanon,Leroy Jones , Ledoux,etc . He was a great heavyweight . But his resume comes up short vs Ali, who beat Norton,Liston and Frazier twice along with Foreman and Shavers. I rate Marciano behind Ali for same reason . Quality of opposition .
@@leewilliams6673wdym? He beat Norton and Shavers. He took the title from Mercer after Ray brutalized Tommy Morrison. He went a very close 12 rounds with Oliver McCall right after McCall knocked out Lennox Lewis. Holmes was the top in the division for that little bit
yeah no respect. Holmes, the heavyweight champion of the world was introduced before Cooney in pre-fight introductions before the fight. They also had Cooney ahead in that fight. Holmes would’ve lost by points if the first went the distance.
Your a little you here but Muhammad Ali was 30-0 24 KOs before the US gov't stop his career in 1967... He was a knock out boxer with extreme skills.. his second act was of course rough n tough with his prime over he still knockout a few especially Big Lumber Jack Foreman 🥊🥊
Ali had power , his jabs knocked people out. Liston, Foreman, Patterson, Ali had power he just wasn't a hitter like the big knockout heavyweights who were only known for power
Holmes says that he still feels those lowblows today. Also, speaking of disrespect, they announced Larry, the champion, before cooney. Complete disrespect and contrary to the norm.
Ignorance is bliss and stupid comments are not illegal. Education time. True, Holmes, the champion was introduced first, contrary to tradition BUT it was in the contract that Holmes, King and Holmes’s management team agreed to and Holmes SIGNED the contract agreeing to it. Everything from the size of the ring, which corner ( blue or red) they’ll sit in, brand and size of the gloves, entrance route, percentage of the purse, you name it is negotiated at this level. So STOP making this a racial thing and making Holmes out to be a victim. Holmes could have fought that stipulation if he felt that strongly about it JUST like Roberto Duran did in his rematch in New Orleans against Leonard. The Leonard camp wanted Duran , the champion, to enter the ring first. Duran)s camp immediately told the Leonard camp “to shove it”. Leonard enters first, Duran has the title. Leonard conceded.
@@jeffmejia3556 if you think he could have negotiated and changed the deal you’re ignorant and have zero idea what you’re talking about. The stupidest people always think they’re the smartest.
A friend of mine & great boxing aficionado swears that video & microphone footage captured Holmes sitting in his corner saying “I can’t take no more” before that fateful round, & then a worried-looking white guy in a black suit, looked Italian, took a white handkerchief out of his pocket & wiped it across Larry’s nose while he was being freshened & encouraged by his corner. And the rest is history…
@@hofwhscoshofwhscos2289 Cooney turned into a PANSY before round 1. He tore into norton and broke LYles ribs, shredded Jimmy Youngs eyes, but pansied out vs holmes, Cooney lost his edge and was afraid to THROW THE DAMN LEFT HOOK body and head ,all night, but couldn't pull the trigger.. Just throwing pity pat right hands on holmes, ridiculous and disappointing guy. I was rooting for Cooney to do a Norton on holmes. Couldn't believe how passive cooney turned for round 1. It was a different fighter from the one vs Norton.
Yes it was a black and white issue at the time because white people was looking for their great white hype but it was hope they were looking for , a hope they think will give them a win but as always it was not to be as is always the case
Cooney’s manager came up to the ring, and exhorted Cooney: “To win it for America.” HBO microphones picked up on it. What did he mean by that when both were American fighters?
Gerry was a gentleman and not a racist imo but some people are using race in a negative way. It makes me sick to see it but Gerry himself is a great guy and not racist. Thats my opinion on it. Larry whip his ass anyway
I was 11 years old when this fight happened. My father, uncle and I went to this fight. I’m going to assume people in was either not alive or too young when this fight happened. The race division you see today, was NOTHING like the build up to this fight. Newspapers all day, every day was talking (and hoping) Cooney would win. The sneaky “win it for America” was not only said by his manager. I remember a paper literally titled: Cooney, the real American Champ! It was crazy. At the fight itself, as an 11 year old, the things being said were crazy. “Knox that N*get out”, “Show that monkey who’s better”, and other crazy stuff. My dad, who was a lawyer, and my uncle my mother’s brother who was also a lawyer, gave me a switchblade (remember this was the 80’s, so checking for stuff back then wasn’t as thorough). When we walked through the fight to get to our seats, they both gave me instructions. I was to walk in between them, with my hand on my dad’s belt so he knew I was behind him, and my uncle had to tap my right and left shoulder twice so I knew he was behind me. I was to keep my head straight, and my uncle said if anyone white person started some mess, to run towards the ring because security would stop me. If I can’t get out quick enough, use the blade. My father said if any slurs came out way, ignore it like we do at home. BUT, if anything pops off, do what my uncle said! Yes, at the fight it was literally that much tension in the air! It was crazy!!
One of the worst stories I heard was that President Reagan had a phone installed in Cooney,s room with a direct line to the White House so he could congratulate him if he won . But nothing for the champ , no phone in his room .
Yup. And, you're surprised?! Could be that's ANOTHER reason why Colin Kapernak took a knee during the national anthem. All Americans don't have the same "American" Experience.
@@busterheine3806 oh no not surprised just amazed at the slight to a Champion like Holmes from the president, like didn’t he realize how prejudiced that would look ? I guess not . As for Holmes ,He never got the recognition he deserved in my opinion. They knocked him for defeating Ali I remember. What the hell was he supposed to do lose on purpose???
Reagan was of Irish ancestry like Cooney. However, the racial overtones is very apparent. This fight reminded me of the *Great White Hope* fighters of the Jack Johnson era and later Rocky Marciano.
Cooney did fight again for the title when he faced the great MICHAEL SPINKS in 1987. Spinks outpointed Larry Holmes to win the WBC Championship, but was stripped of it after refusing to fight the mandatory challenger Tony Tucker. He was still considered to be the champ by most people because he hadn’t lost the title in the ring, and the fight with Cooney was scheduled for 15 rounds and was billed as the “PEOPLES CHAMPIONSHIP.” Spinks knocked Cooney out in the fifth round.
IMO Spinks did not qualify for the Tyson fight because as you say he refused to defend against the much larger and mobile Tony Tucker so the IBF rightly stripped him. I'd rather had seen a rematch between Tucker and Tyson in '88.
@@alarmactionukalarmactionuk893 Spinks was still the lineal(and true) Heavyweight Champ because he beat Larry Holmes, so Tyson had to fight him, so he can be called the lineal and true champ.
Wasn't as bad Goleta though, who became a star for low blows, only in America. Connan Obrien. David letterman, good morning America 🇺🇸 by losing. Uncle Big George was saying he will beat any heavyweight if he keeps them high. Larry merchant thought it was not intentional a guy who seen millions of fights.
Cooney took a tremendous beating from Holmes in this fight. He took a lot of head shots because he didn't move his head or have any defensive skills. It was target practice for Holmes.
Cooney was coddled on his way up, was constantly injured , could not take a punch on the jaw and was easily discouraged. Hardly the stuff of champions.
cooney was impressive fighter even though coddled. he only had to beat holmes to become a champion and no one did that during that era so tearing him down to say he couldn't been holmes seems ridiculous. i never disrespected holmes in the slightest.
Holmes had an incredible chin and fighting spirit. He usually handled these heavy punchers well. Holmes had a bit of a temper, but overall, a very good natured man and a legend of American sport.
@@user-bp8rr3rj7r Indeed. Very tough with great jab and chin and enormous heart. Boxing public had just been spoiled with a dynamic personality before Holmes , so he was just never as popular with fans. But if Holmes had met Ali in both of their primes I would have made Ali maybe a very small -130 favorite on ML .Mostly attributable to his hand speed advantage over Holmes .
@@leewilliams6673 I believe that once we reach the super elite level, anything can happen. Ali was great, but I did watch some of his fights where his opponents spotted something. But I agree, his speed might give him a slight edge if they fought ten times. Over ten fights, speed is a major consideration. But anyway, I'm proud that my father raised me to watch these types of fighters. These men are treasures of American sport. Larry actually has a gift for humor when he is relaxed, but the media didn't want you to see that. Ali had the "Bruce Lee effect". Charismatic and photogenic. Those were legendary times, with men who fully dedicated themselves to boxing.
Larry Holmes was better than Joe Louis. As a "Complete" Fighter Holmes was better than Mohammad Ali. Mohammad Ali was a Head hunter and never through Body Shots. Ali had the best Chin in Boxing but Holmes was a better overall Fighter.
I remember this fight as if it were yesterday , I will never forget the vile "disrespect" shown to ( the champion Larry Holmes )! I had never prior to that fight and haven't since seen a Champion introduced first & the challenger announced last.
How a boxer could be both a "Gentlemen" and "dirty fighter" at the same time, is beyond me... And when Homes caught Clooney with that first one-two: he ran around the ring like a frighten deer, to get away.
Larry Holmes Was without question the best heavyweight of his era and one of the most underrated Champions in heavyweight history great guy had the pleasure of meeting him While training at Gleason gym, And he told me and a couple of other fighters about The Cooney Fight he said he was strong And took a great punch on the chin, but he Noticed that he couldn't take punches on the side of his head Then he started to aim there to hurt him.
1st mistaked that pissed off Larry Holmes was the announcer introducing Larry the Champ first and Cooney second as tho he was the champ defending against Holmes.
Cooney doesn't get enough credit for going 13 rounds with one of the most underrated heavyweight champions! This bout was a HUGE step upward in quality over his previous opponents, and by most any measure it was a very good, entertaining fight. I saw it on closed circuit TV in the War Memorial in Rochester, NY...
Larry Holms was a good champion. The only problem he had in his career was, that he supposed to replace the most charismatic, entertaining heavyweight Champion of all times, Mohammed Ali. And those shoes were too big to fill. Holms didn't have much charisma, nor was he charming. In my opinion he was very plain and simple, compared to the Greatest Mohammed Ali. That's my personal opinion.
Despite being knocked down in a previous round, Cooney was ahead in all of the scorecards when Holmes stopped him. It’s a good thing that Holmes KO’d Cooney because the judges would have given the decision to Cooney.
For all who missed it. Larry Holmes was introduced first then Cooney. That's disrespectful reason being the Champion is always introduced last the challenger first.
Stop making excuses. Holmes was not Norton. Cooney could HIT but when stuff got hairy like in this fight and the ones with Spinks and Foreman Cooney looked lost and then he LOST via TKO. Woulda'-Coulda'-Shoulda' but he didn't! CASE CLOSED!
@@carlcounts1 If that was really the case , then what was his overall competition like up to the Holmes fight ? . Are you making excuses for the one hit wonder ?? .
@@WISHBONEL7 his competition prior to the Holmes fight was not as good as many thought. Prior to Holmes he hadn’t had a fight in over a year. Cooney should’ve had at least 2 more fights prior to Holmes than everyone would’ve seen he was not even close to championship caliber
This was by far Jerry Cooney's best fight ever. He went 13 rounds with the Heavyweight Champ and when the fight was stopped, he was ahead on 2 of the 3 scorecards. I never thought Cooney would get past the 7th round. Sometimes a fighter can fight great in a losing effort. That is what happened on that night.
Downright racist announcing the heavyweight champion first then the challenger Cooney last as if he was the champion. Never was this seen in boxing before, but The Champ Larry Holmes made up for that disrespectful maneuver by the WBA and knocked Cooney out with the T.K.O. We have not seen such a maneuver made in a Championship fight since. Larry Holmes was a great champion, his record spoke this clearly.
For heavyweights maybe. What I find funny how they turned Wladimira Clitschko into this amazing jabber, which he clearly wasn't one. Only his autistic fans believed dat rubbish.
I remember this fight when I was a kid. They showed it at a movie theater that was just down the Blvd from White Castle where I was with my dad. These guys came in and was talking about the fight. It was the 1st time I’d ever heard of like a closed circuit broadcast-meaning as a kid I’m like HOW are they watching that at the movies. Hey it was the late 70’s😂. Anyway looking at this old footage-Holmes was DEFINITELY an Ali clone. He moved just like him. I guess being his sparring partner for so long is the reason.
It's considered extremely disrespectful to announce the champion before the challenger. I can't recall ever seeing it done, except for this. Maybe things changed since then (with all the fancy contracts and sponsorships and whatnot), but back in those days, it was a big deal.
I remember watching this fight as a child . The fight had the crowd of blacks on one side and the whites on the oher side of the arena. Even the national guard was there. This had to do more with race than anything. It was so bad that before the fight the announcer introduced Holmes first even though he was the champion. Holmes had to beat him bad and and knock him out. Couldn't afford to let the judge's decide especially if the fight was close. It would had been a race riot if sneaky judge's would had did something slick.
I remember this fight I was 10 years old and was very sad when I heard all the racial epithets and the lack of respect giving to the champion , for example, the money is almost being split even was just appalling for an upcoming fighter and also when has it ever been precedent that the champion is introduced first , Cooney with no kind of championship belt however they introduce him last like a champion is supposed to be so this fight was basically turned into a racial battle, and some of the ugliness in America’s race relations rekindled becauseof this fight
Even though Cooney suffered a TKO when you take into consideration he was fighting Larry Holmes, I think this was his best performance as a pro. When he made his comeback vs Spinks and Foreman he showed nothing.
Those low blows were not "very much accidental" as he stated. Look at the fight from the start and you'll see many low blows from him when the referee was on the opposite side. Not accidental. Clearly intentional.
What program are you using to upscale footage if you dont mind my asking? Also I can say that Cooney deserves respect. His left hook is a lethal punch which can KO any fighter.
Dude, just by you saying some ignorant shit like that, it is obvious you know NOTHING about Ali at his peak, and likely boxing in general. "Larry had faster hands than a peak Ali"....Jeeeezus....
Gerry Cooney may have been known for one punch (left hook) but what a punch it was. George Foreman said after they fought : ....." 40 seconds into the first round Cooney threw a left hook to my body; I blocked it with my right arm,......the power went through my arm, into my body and within seconds left me feeling dizzy". That is scary power.
It's always a racial undertone. Was cool ey really fighting for America with an Irish logo on his robe. All sports have a racial undertone. Glad Larry one and busted his eye up so he can remember him for the rest of his life.
Don King tried to work out a deal with Fidel Castro to get 3-time olympic heavyweight gold medalist (1972, 1976, 1980) Teofilo Stevenson to fight Holmes. He even offered to have the fight in Havana. I think he even tried in the late 70's to get a fight with Ali. Castro would not let it go through.
Sorry sir respectfully you're wrong that Cooney would never get a title shot again... Gerry Cooney got one more title shot against Michael Spinks in 1987 for the IBF heavyweight championship and got beat worst from Michael Spinks then he did in the Larry Holmes fight...
Cooney had big punch but a small skill set. All he had to do is to instantly follow up that low blow with a left to the jaw and the ref could hardly have taken the knockout away, could he?
Saw him in the bar in Bethlehem pa a couple yrs ago. I asked him who the greatest heavyweight of all time is because its not you. The look on his face said he wanted to snuff me. Then he turned around and bought everybody at the bar a drink except me and my brother..
Rocky Marciano he would definitely beat some modern day champions who knows maybe all retired undefeated and definitely had a tough chin and knock out punch pow
Gerry stood up too straight in this fight and followed Holmes around the ring. Cooney lacked confidence that he could go the distance compounded by doubt he could stop Holmes inside the distance. He was way too inexperienced for Larry.
I don't know whose station tv coverage , I saw it on black and white TV and I could hear the terrifying landed hard punches ..."bum....bum". Even at later round Holmes looked tired and said "let's get out of here".
You'd think a fighter would realize he's getting hit with a certain punch and change his defense. Cooney definitely not a boxer. And can't take a punch either
Larry Holmes had a jab that was near perfect, and his power made it so very effective and dangerous..that being said, while I always enjoyed watching him, his personality, always with the smirk..idk.. personality goes a long way and I always found Larry to be just a plain old as*hole
Holmes was the most underrated Champion in History. He took on all comers.
@@Rico-ow3ys
He usually gets solid reviews from Boxing historians. But quality of opposition was biggest question mark . Most of his wins were over fighters like Evangelista,Ocasio,Zanon,Leroy Jones , Ledoux,etc .
He was a great heavyweight . But his resume comes up short vs Ali, who beat Norton,Liston and Frazier twice along with Foreman and Shavers. I rate Marciano behind Ali for same reason . Quality of opposition .
@@leewilliams6673wdym? He beat Norton and Shavers. He took the title from Mercer after Ray brutalized Tommy Morrison. He went a very close 12 rounds with Oliver McCall right after McCall knocked out Lennox Lewis. Holmes was the top in the division for that little bit
BS-holmes dodged greg page,dynamite dokes and herry coetze becuase he was afraid he would lose.
Larry Holmes was a Top tree Heavyweight Champion. Muhammad Ali, Joe Louis, Holmes Holmes didn't duck anyone.
You are so correct he was a great champion I think the best ever the people who control boxing didn't like big Larry AKA Don king
No respect? Larry Holmes was one of the greatest heavyweight champions in all boxing history. Larry beat EVERYONE in his prime. He was Ali with power.
yeah no respect. Holmes, the heavyweight champion of the world was introduced before Cooney in pre-fight introductions before the fight. They also had Cooney ahead in that fight. Holmes would’ve lost by points if the first went the distance.
Your a little you here but Muhammad Ali was 30-0 24 KOs before the US gov't stop his career in 1967... He was a knock out boxer with extreme skills.. his second act was of course rough n tough with his prime over he still knockout a few especially Big Lumber Jack Foreman 🥊🥊
Ali had power , his jabs knocked people out. Liston, Foreman, Patterson, Ali had power he just wasn't a hitter like the big knockout heavyweights who were only known for power
Well, not quite ali with power. Clay(Ali 60's) would have outpointed prime Holmes.
@@jeffmilum9001 he struggled to beat Norton who coney knocked out in two rounds and foreman destroyed coney when he was 45
Holmes says that he still feels those lowblows today.
Also, speaking of disrespect, they announced Larry, the champion, before cooney. Complete disrespect and contrary to the norm.
Yes, that was wrong.
Clear racism
@@RyanMclain
This Is America.
Were you expecting it
to behave differently?
Ignorance is bliss and stupid comments are not illegal. Education time. True, Holmes, the champion was introduced first, contrary to tradition BUT it was in the contract that Holmes, King and Holmes’s management team agreed to and Holmes SIGNED the contract agreeing to it. Everything from the size of the ring, which corner ( blue or red) they’ll sit in, brand and size of the gloves, entrance route, percentage of the purse, you name it is negotiated at this level. So STOP making this a racial thing and making Holmes out to be a victim. Holmes could have fought that stipulation if he felt that strongly about it JUST like Roberto Duran did in his rematch in New Orleans against Leonard. The Leonard camp wanted Duran , the champion, to enter the ring first. Duran)s camp immediately told the Leonard camp “to shove it”. Leonard enters first, Duran has the title. Leonard conceded.
@@jeffmejia3556 if you think he could have negotiated and changed the deal you’re ignorant and have zero idea what you’re talking about. The stupidest people always think they’re the smartest.
Holmes was an excellent champion . A real good boxer
A great boxer the best left jab of any heavy weight champion .
They ended up becoming close friends.
Definitely NOT accidental low blows dear narrator
The thing I don’t forget about this fight is this. At the time Holmes knocked out Cooney, he was BEHIND on points after dominating the fight
A friend of mine & great boxing aficionado swears that video & microphone footage captured Holmes sitting in his corner saying “I can’t take no more” before that fateful round, & then a worried-looking white guy in a black suit, looked Italian, took a white handkerchief out of his pocket & wiped it across Larry’s nose while he was being freshened & encouraged by his corner. And the rest is history…
Bullshit. Holmes was never in trouble, hurt or really challenged. His biggest pain came from the repeated low blows….
No way he was jabbing the hell out of him
@@hofwhscoshofwhscos2289 Cooney turned into a PANSY before round 1. He tore into norton and broke LYles ribs, shredded Jimmy Youngs eyes, but pansied out vs holmes, Cooney lost his edge and was afraid to THROW THE DAMN LEFT HOOK body and head ,all night, but couldn't pull the trigger.. Just throwing pity pat right hands on holmes, ridiculous and disappointing guy. I was rooting for Cooney to do a Norton on holmes. Couldn't believe how passive cooney turned for round 1. It was a different fighter from the one vs Norton.
Lol you know what that was about
There was a lot of racism surrounding this fight just like Mayweather and McGregor.
Yes it was a black and white issue at the time because white people was looking for their great white hype but it was hope they were looking for , a hope they think will give them a win but as always it was not to be as is always the case
@@terrecegamble1700 They still mad about Jack Johnson 😂
Facts 👍🏽
@@warrenlewis3977who is he ?
@@terrecegamble1700we r to busy creating to many new things
Cooney’s manager came up to the ring, and exhorted Cooney: “To win it for America.” HBO microphones picked up on it. What did he mean by that when both were American fighters?
Gerry was a gentleman and not a racist imo but some people are using race in a negative way. It makes me sick to see it but Gerry himself is a great guy and not racist. Thats my opinion on it. Larry whip his ass anyway
@@fights1397 Well, Cooney’s manager was playing the race card because HBO’s microphone picked up on it.
Same thing behind the MAGA dog whistle we hear today
I obviously don’t know Gerry Cooney, but his public persona is good. He seems that he’s a nice guy but his manager did say that.
I was 11 years old when this fight happened. My father, uncle and I went to this fight. I’m going to assume people in was either not alive or too young when this fight happened. The race division you see today, was NOTHING like the build up to this fight. Newspapers all day, every day was talking (and hoping) Cooney would win. The sneaky “win it for America” was not only said by his manager. I remember a paper literally titled: Cooney, the real American Champ! It was crazy.
At the fight itself, as an 11 year old, the things being said were crazy. “Knox that N*get out”, “Show that monkey who’s better”, and other crazy stuff. My dad, who was a lawyer, and my uncle my mother’s brother who was also a lawyer, gave me a switchblade (remember this was the 80’s, so checking for stuff back then wasn’t as thorough). When we walked through the fight to get to our seats, they both gave me instructions. I was to walk in between them, with my hand on my dad’s belt so he knew I was behind him, and my uncle had to tap my right and left shoulder twice so I knew he was behind me. I was to keep my head straight, and my uncle said if anyone white person started some mess, to run towards the ring because security would stop me. If I can’t get out quick enough, use the blade. My father said if any slurs came out way, ignore it like we do at home. BUT, if anything pops off, do what my uncle said! Yes, at the fight it was literally that much tension in the air! It was crazy!!
Larry Holmes was one of the GREATEST FIGHTERS ever. A true CHAMPION.
One of the worst stories I heard was that President Reagan had a phone installed in Cooney,s room with a direct line to the White House so he could congratulate him if he won . But nothing for the champ , no phone in his room .
Yup.
And, you're surprised?!
Could be that's ANOTHER reason why
Colin Kapernak took a knee during the national anthem.
All Americans don't have the same "American" Experience.
@@busterheine3806 oh no not surprised just amazed at the slight to a Champion like Holmes from the president, like didn’t he realize how prejudiced that would look ? I guess not . As for Holmes ,He never got the recognition he deserved in my opinion. They knocked him for defeating Ali I remember. What the hell was he supposed to do lose on purpose???
Reagan was of Irish ancestry like Cooney. However, the racial overtones is very apparent.
This fight reminded me of the *Great White Hope* fighters of the Jack Johnson era and later Rocky Marciano.
@@charleswatts3810 didn’t think of that . That probably only added to the prejudice. I don’t care what anyone says Cooney was not a great boxer .
@@cojaysea Correct!
Cooney did fight again for the title when he faced the great MICHAEL SPINKS in 1987. Spinks outpointed Larry Holmes to win the WBC Championship, but was stripped of it after refusing to fight the mandatory challenger Tony Tucker. He was still considered to be the champ by most people because he hadn’t lost the title in the ring, and the fight with Cooney was scheduled for 15 rounds and was billed as the “PEOPLES CHAMPIONSHIP.” Spinks knocked Cooney out in the fifth round.
Cooney was billed as the “Great White Hope” but he turned out to be the Great White Hype.
IMO Spinks did not qualify for the Tyson fight because as you say he refused to defend against the much larger and mobile Tony Tucker so the IBF rightly stripped him. I'd rather had seen a rematch between Tucker and Tyson in '88.
@@alarmactionukalarmactionuk893 Spinks was still the lineal(and true) Heavyweight Champ because he beat Larry Holmes, so Tyson had to fight him, so he can be called the lineal and true champ.
@@alarmactionukalarmactionuk893 If Mike Tyson wanted to be known as the lineal Heavyweight Champion. Then, he had to fight Michael Spinks.
The championship
Cooney punched Holmes in the ding ding about 25 times. 😮
Wasn't as bad Goleta though, who became a star for low blows, only in America. Connan Obrien. David letterman, good morning America 🇺🇸 by losing.
Uncle Big George was saying he will beat any heavyweight if he keeps them high. Larry merchant thought it was not intentional a guy who seen millions of fights.
Cooney took a tremendous beating from Holmes in this fight. He took a lot of head shots because he didn't move his head or have any defensive skills. It was target practice for Holmes.
Cooney was coddled on his way up, was constantly injured , could not take a punch on the jaw and was easily discouraged. Hardly the stuff of champions.
cooney was impressive fighter even though coddled. he only had to beat holmes to become a champion and no one did that during that era so tearing him down to say he couldn't been holmes seems ridiculous. i never disrespected holmes in the slightest.
@@paulmackiewicz9836 he never had it mentally .
Holmes had an incredible chin and fighting spirit. He usually handled these heavy punchers well. Holmes had a bit of a temper, but overall, a very good natured man and a legend of American sport.
@@user-bp8rr3rj7r
Indeed. Very tough with great jab and chin and enormous heart. Boxing public had just been spoiled with a dynamic personality before Holmes , so he was just never as popular with fans. But if Holmes had met Ali in both of their primes I would have made Ali maybe a very small -130 favorite on ML .Mostly attributable to his hand speed advantage over Holmes .
@@leewilliams6673 I believe that once we reach the super elite level, anything can happen. Ali was great, but I did watch some of his fights where his opponents spotted something. But I agree, his speed might give him a slight edge if they fought ten times. Over ten fights, speed is a major consideration. But anyway, I'm proud that my father raised me to watch these types of fighters. These men are treasures of American sport. Larry actually has a gift for humor when he is relaxed, but the media didn't want you to see that. Ali had the "Bruce Lee effect". Charismatic and photogenic. Those were legendary times, with men who fully dedicated themselves to boxing.
Well said!
Cooney was a big guy who took boxing lessons. The End
He got a lesson alright.
Larry Holmes was a top 3 Greatest Heavyweight ever . Muhammad Ali, Joe Louis, Larry Holmes.
Larry Holmes was better than Joe Louis. As a "Complete" Fighter Holmes was better than Mohammad Ali. Mohammad Ali was a Head hunter and never through Body Shots. Ali had the best Chin in Boxing but Holmes was a better overall Fighter.
Muhammad Ali used to kick, Holmes behind. Holmes was his sparring partner. Ali was his Idol , he said so himself.
Holmes was one of my favorites, his counter blows were so fast.
That first 1...2... made that man get ghost!😂😂😂😂❤
I remember this fight as if it were yesterday , I will never forget the vile "disrespect" shown to ( the champion Larry Holmes )! I had never prior to that fight and haven't since seen a Champion introduced first & the challenger announced last.
How a boxer could be both a "Gentlemen" and "dirty fighter" at the same time, is beyond me... And when Homes caught Clooney with that first one-two: he ran around the ring like a frighten deer, to get away.
That Holmes Jab is the best the sport has ever seen.
Larry Holmes Was without question the best heavyweight of his era and one of the most underrated Champions in heavyweight history great guy had the pleasure of meeting him While training at Gleason gym, And he told me and a couple of other fighters about The Cooney Fight he said he was strong And took a great punch on the chin, but he Noticed that he couldn't take punches on the side of his head Then he started to aim there to hurt him.
1st mistaked that pissed off Larry Holmes was the announcer introducing Larry the Champ first and Cooney second as tho he was the champ defending against Holmes.
Larry Holmes was a great champion.
They are people who are great but never given the greatness like holmes
Cooney doesn't get enough credit for going 13 rounds with one of the most underrated heavyweight champions! This bout was a HUGE step upward in quality over his previous opponents, and by most any measure it was a very good, entertaining fight. I saw it on closed circuit TV in the War Memorial in Rochester, NY...
Actually Larry gave Gerry a lot of respect. Holmes faught a careful and discipline fight and didn't waste any punches.
Gerry didn't know how to clench
i saw this fight when it happened. Holmes had a tremendous amount of contempt for Cooney
'No respect'? Why? Did Holmes spit at Cooney or something?
He stepped into the ring, was spanked by a superior rival, end of the story.
Cooney fought well in the fight, but he was put into it prematurely. Holmes ruined him.
Larry Holms was a good champion. The only problem he had in his career was, that he supposed to replace the most charismatic, entertaining heavyweight Champion of all times, Mohammed Ali. And those shoes were too big to fill. Holms didn't have much charisma, nor was he charming. In my opinion he was very plain and simple, compared to the Greatest Mohammed Ali. That's my personal opinion.
He wasn't trying to replace Muhammad Ali.. he knew him better than 98% of the world.. sheeeeeeeeeeez c'mon on niwt
Holmes would have gotten jobbed if Cooney’s corner didn’t stop the fight.
?
Great fight,big event,Holmes chopped him down and ruined him really
"I could fight a Gerry Cooney everyday." - Larry Holmes
Another quote from Holmes: “Cooney will never be champion because he’s never experienced hunger.”
Despite being knocked down in a previous round, Cooney was ahead in all of the scorecards when Holmes stopped him. It’s a good thing that Holmes KO’d Cooney because the judges would have given the decision to Cooney.
Cooney’s barage of low blows was his way of helping out a fellow box
The low blows were “accidental”…yes let’s give your “white hope” the usual benefit of the doubt.
For all who missed it. Larry Holmes was introduced first then Cooney. That's disrespectful reason being the Champion is always introduced last the challenger first.
How the HELL do you introduce the Champion first? Never forgive America for what she did and continues to do to Black people!
HOLMES GAVE HIM A OLD FASHIONED BEAT DOWN.
Cooney: knocked down in the second round by the lightest hitting heavyweight champion ever.
Cooney just came out like a robot in this fight instead of attacking like he did against Norton
Stop making excuses. Holmes was not Norton. Cooney could HIT but when stuff got hairy like in this fight and the ones with Spinks and Foreman Cooney looked lost and then he LOST via TKO. Woulda'-Coulda'-Shoulda' but he didn't!
CASE CLOSED!
@@JeezWhiz1 that's true, up until this fight Cooney had never been in a situation where he had to fight out of trouble,
@@carlcounts1 If that was really the case , then what was his overall competition like up to the Holmes fight ? .
Are you making excuses for the one hit wonder ?? .
@@WISHBONEL7 his competition prior to the Holmes fight was not as good as many thought. Prior to Holmes he hadn’t had a fight in over a year. Cooney should’ve had at least 2 more fights prior to Holmes than everyone would’ve seen he was not even close to championship caliber
Holmes and Ali were the rolls royces of the heavyweight division.
This clown was overrated,and had no business in the ring with Mr holmes.😮😮
When boxers are in defeat mode they fight dirty because they're losing anyway. Boxers such as Cooney, Holyfield and yes of course Holmes.
absolute warriors, these guys were just different from today's fighters.... I think tougher and better trained, more fundamentals...
In his prime, Holmes would have easily defeated Tyson
This was by far Jerry Cooney's
best fight ever.
He went 13 rounds with the Heavyweight Champ and when the fight was stopped, he was ahead on 2 of the 3 scorecards. I never thought Cooney would get past the 7th round.
Sometimes a fighter can fight great in a losing effort. That is what happened on that night.
I would not say that Cooney was great but I do agree that considering the opponent it was by far the best fight of his career.
My favorite fighter in those days He fought all comers .
Downright racist announcing the heavyweight champion first then the challenger Cooney last as if he was the champion. Never was this seen in boxing before, but The Champ Larry Holmes made up for that disrespectful maneuver by the WBA and knocked Cooney out with the T.K.O. We have not seen such a maneuver made in a Championship fight since. Larry Holmes was a great champion, his record spoke this clearly.
GREATEST JAB OF ALL TIMES!!! LARRY HOLMES
For heavyweights maybe.
What I find funny how they turned Wladimira Clitschko into this amazing jabber, which he clearly wasn't one. Only his autistic fans believed dat rubbish.
I remember this fight when I was a kid. They showed it at a movie theater that was just down the Blvd from White Castle where I was with my dad. These guys came in and was talking about the fight. It was the 1st time I’d ever heard of like a closed circuit broadcast-meaning as a kid I’m like HOW are they watching that at the movies. Hey it was the late 70’s😂.
Anyway looking at this old footage-Holmes was DEFINITELY an Ali clone. He moved just like him. I guess being his sparring partner for so long is the reason.
Its been over 40 years! Time does fly
Those 1-2 combos with kinda the feint with the left and the disguised right was the exact combo that Tyson put Holmes on his ass with.
Same combo Holyfield put Tyson on his ass with, good eye 👌🏿
@@robloxvids2233 that roids
It's not. Holmes half jabbed to Cooney's body as a feint. Tyson knocked off Holmes right guard with his jab to gets in his right hand.
It's considered extremely disrespectful to announce the champion before the challenger. I can't recall ever seeing it done, except for this. Maybe things changed since then (with all the fancy contracts and sponsorships and whatnot), but back in those days, it was a big deal.
I remember watching this fight as a child . The fight had the crowd of blacks on one side and the whites on the oher side of the arena. Even the national guard was there. This had to do more with race than anything. It was so bad that before the fight the announcer introduced Holmes first even though he was the champion. Holmes had to beat him bad and and knock him out. Couldn't afford to let the judge's decide especially if the fight was close. It would had been a race riot if sneaky judge's would had did something slick.
Oj Simpson verdict was close lol
The Great White Hope. Holmes could take it as well as he dished it out. Clooney, not so much. Holmes is a Top 10 Greatest Heavyweights of all time.
President ronald reagan called gerry In his locker room to wish him luck before the fight and Larry was the champion no call..
I saw Cooney on "Spenser for Hire" he played a " Knee Breaker".
The Easton Assassin ☠️
Cool name
Cooney wasn't much of a match for Holmes. He was really outclassed.
Cooney was definitely outclassed here. In today's era, the ref would have called the fight.
Jerry wasn't ready for holmes at this point in his career.
I remember this fight I was 10 years old and was very sad when I heard all the racial epithets and the lack of respect giving to the champion , for example, the money is almost being split even was just appalling for an upcoming fighter and also when has it ever been precedent that the champion is introduced first , Cooney with no kind of championship belt however they introduce him last like a champion is supposed to be so this fight was basically turned into a racial battle, and some of the ugliness in America’s race relations rekindled becauseof this fight
Even though Cooney suffered a TKO when you take into consideration he was fighting Larry Holmes, I think this was his best performance as a pro. When he made his comeback vs Spinks and Foreman he showed nothing.
Holmes kicked his ass dey tried to blow him up but Holmes knocked all da air out of his ass
Those low blows were not "very much accidental" as he stated. Look at the fight from the start and you'll see many low blows from him when the referee was on the opposite side. Not accidental. Clearly intentional.
You said low blow was accidental . In the 19th round. Really. Not really it was intentional.
Who was Cooney, he only beat Norton, Holmes didn’t owe him any respect he wasn’t the champ
Kenny Norton is avenged!
Holmes said Cooney hurt him so bad could have beaten him Jerry showed too much respect.
What program are you using to upscale footage if you dont mind my asking? Also I can say that Cooney deserves respect. His left hook is a lethal punch which can KO any fighter.
Cooney and Holmes are great friends now though
This fight had high security, like cops on nearby hotel roofs, because Larry Holmes had death threats.
Larry had faster hands than a peak Ali…..magnificent
Dude, just by you saying some ignorant shit like that, it is obvious you know NOTHING about Ali at his peak, and likely boxing in general. "Larry had faster hands than a peak Ali"....Jeeeezus....
Faster than a 1970s Ali but the 30-0 24 KO 1960s Muhammad Ali you are tripping my man!!
Beautiful
Cooney no defense at all
Gerry Cooney may have been known for one punch (left hook) but what a punch it was. George Foreman said after
they fought : ....." 40 seconds into the first round Cooney threw a left hook to my body; I blocked it with my right
arm,......the power went through my arm, into my body and within seconds left me feeling dizzy". That is scary
power.
He said Cooney had a stronger left hook than Joe Frazier (or anyone else he fought).
It's always a racial undertone. Was cool ey really fighting for America with an Irish logo on his robe. All sports have a racial undertone. Glad Larry one and busted his eye up so he can remember him for the rest of his life.
Holmes looking like Ali in there.
This Holmes would have beaten Tyson or Holyfield or George Foreman. He was superb.
Don King tried to work out a deal with Fidel Castro to get 3-time olympic heavyweight gold medalist (1972, 1976, 1980) Teofilo Stevenson to fight Holmes. He even offered to have the fight in Havana. I think he even tried in the late 70's to get a fight with Ali. Castro would not let it go through.
Every white kid at my elementary school and my brother's high school was pulling for Cooney
Sorry sir respectfully you're wrong that Cooney would never get a title shot again...
Gerry Cooney got one more title shot against Michael Spinks in 1987 for the IBF heavyweight championship and got beat worst from Michael Spinks then he did in the Larry Holmes fight...
IBF stripped Spinks for not fighting Tyson earlier.. but he was the Lineal HW champ by beating Holmes so their fight was for the Lineal
@@williamdavis8855
Oh okay, so no IBF belt was involved... Okay got it...👍
Love this great video
Cooney had big punch but a small skill set. All he had to do is to instantly follow up that low blow with a left to the jaw and the ref could hardly have taken the knockout away, could he?
Holmes had to show the young stud ( that there's "levels" to the hurt business ).
Saw him in the bar in Bethlehem pa a couple yrs ago. I asked him who the greatest heavyweight of all time is because its not you. The look on his face said he wanted to snuff me. Then he turned around and bought everybody at the bar a drink except me and my brother..
Why the disrespect though?
😂 you don’t deserve a drink
@williamgardner7886, and why the hell would he?
Good. You didn't deserve a glass of water with that punk move!!
I won a lot off this great white hype
A fight l remember as racially intensified
Rocky Marciano he would definitely beat some modern day champions who knows maybe all retired undefeated and definitely had a tough chin and knock out punch pow
Quincy Hall got dat DAWG in him!!!
Cara... Larry no auge era páreo duro, viu!? Assisti a várias lutas dele, na época... era difícil de ser batido.
Gerry stood up too straight in this fight and followed Holmes around the ring. Cooney lacked confidence that he could go the distance compounded by doubt he could stop Holmes inside the distance. He was way too inexperienced for Larry.
Y was Larry introduced first he's the champ
I don't know whose station tv coverage , I saw it on black and white TV and I could hear the terrifying landed hard punches ..."bum....bum". Even at later round Holmes looked tired and said "let's get out of here".
You'd think a fighter would realize he's getting hit with a certain punch and change his defense. Cooney definitely not a boxer. And can't take a punch either
Larry Holmes had a jab that was near perfect, and his power made it so very effective and dangerous..that being said, while I always enjoyed watching him, his personality, always with the smirk..idk.. personality goes a long way and I always found Larry to be just a plain old as*hole
Is that Gerry Cooney? I thought it was Jerry Lewis.