@@proplayer566 , Holmes said Cooney was the best fighter he ever faced and would have been the Champion for years if Holmes himself hadn't been around.
@@stephenmcloughlin7718 Just talk. He also said Norton was the best he fought. Jerry had some power, but so does other fighters. Jerry is who we thought he was! And Spinks proved it. Then an older Foreman had to prove it again that Jerry was only a great white hope.
@@proplayer566 , Jerry ? You are talking about Quarry so? Another Irish American , but only a Cruiserweight really. He still put Ernie Shavers away in one round though. Cooney was beating most people in the first round, until he lost v Holmes, he went on a drinking and drugs spree then as he couldn't handle the loss and was never the same fighter again. Cooney beat Norton in about 10 secs,so I would stick with Holmes' assertions that Cooney was the best he ever fought.
@@stephenmcloughlin7718 No! I am talking about Jerry overrated Cooney. Don't want to hear nothing about drugs caused his lost. When he fought Norton, Norton was an old man and washed up. Norton had already been knocked out by old Shavers and Foreman. Cooney could not take a punch. This is why he was knocked out by Spinks. But because he is so called white, you will want him to be more but he was not and never will be considered a top heavyweight. Only in your mind.
Gerry was a good fighter with great potential who was rushed into a title fight with a prime Larry Holmes before he was allowed to fully develop. I always thought his managers did him a disservice by going for a big payday before Gerry had matured into a complete fighter. Eddie Gregg was a good fighter who was really a pumped up light heavyweight fighting out of out of his division.
I know a match with Cooney and WBA champ Mike Weaver was in the making first but fell through. I think that would have been a better opportunity for Cooney. Nothing against Weaver but I think Cooney would have beat him, and then be in a better place to unify against Holmes.
If Cooney had attacked Spinks like this he might have taken him out early too. He needed to just go for it in that fight, willing to win it or lose it in 2-3 rounds.
Agree ! it's a shame he lost that fight . Spinks was a great fighter ! but Cooney at his size , and being one of the hardest hitters ! should have been able to take him out .
Actually Cooney was on the Coke and Alcohol addiction at the time of Holmes Fight also, he just didn't want to use it as an excuse for the loss, he is grateful to be sober today!
Foreman and Holmes said Cooney was the the top 3 power punchers in the game. His left hook was the best in boxing. He had a glass jaw, that was his problem. Holmes got hit with probably 30 solid body shots and took them, I was amazed at how much gas he still had with those body punches.
@@vinrusso821Larry was in top shape physically and emotionally for the fight. He could take them on the chin and to the body. You don't stay champ for that long without those assets. I wouldn't say Jerry had a glass jaw. Spinks was something else, but I don't think that he hurt Larry. But he landed a 20 punch combination on Jerry, and that comeback ended.
@ vin russo I read were Holmes was training with a martial arts instructor that was showing him how to hold his arms against his body to absorb some of Cooney’s power.
George Foreman was Sonny Liston's sparring partner when he started out as a pro after the 1968 Olympics, and Foreman said that Sonny was the hardest puncher that ever hit him. It would have been something else to have seen those 2 guys fight each other when they were both in their prime......Sonny between 1958 and 1964, and Foreman between 1970 and 1977.
I gotta give Gregg a lot of credit for having a pretty damn good chin. It took a considerable number of Cooney's left hooks, before he finally went down, and lost. If Foreman says they're damn near lethal, I have to say this guy Gregg has a better than average chin......
@@matthewmauran9453 Cooney hit Foreman with a really good left hook that shook Foreman. Foreman took it and crushed Cooney the next round, but watch that fight and George’s interview on Letterman. George has a huge shiner.
@Coachwkr - The only "mis-management" that Cooney did was the fact he wouldn't sign his future away to Don King and let his career be ruined by him the way so many others did.
Well, he just didnt quite make it is the only explanation. Atleast he tried though. He gave Holmes a pretty tough fight though! And Foreman said Cooney hit him one of the hardest shots he ever took. And the guys Cooney beat were hardly nobodies. They were just fighters YOU never heard of! Go back and read about the era and the division and you'll get a different perspective on things. Gerry Cooney was no fluke! He was a really good contender!
@@ah93704 Old and washed up when he fought Cooney. Norton was knocked out in first or 2rd round anytime he went against a puncher. This is why Cooney's management pick Norton. To make Cooney look good. Knocked out 2rd round Foreman, 1st round Shavers. Norton never made it to the 3rd round against any puncher.
Turned out to be Gerry's last win. Gerry would be inactive for another year before his loss to Michael Spinks. It makes you just wanna scratch your head to know how much better a fighter this guy could have been had he had more fights and rounds under his belt. Just a shame and we will never know.
@ CURTIS MCNEIL I think he had some substance abuse problems. I remember an interview before the Foreman fight how he said he should have never been in the ring with Spinks that night.
@@jogman262 , Yea I mean I watched his fight with Holmes again the other night and that Gerry Cooney was definitely not the one in there with Michael Spinks. He fought Holmes in an outdoor arena and it was well over 100 degrees in that ring that night. I remember Holmes having blood in his shoes because of blisters. I think Gerry was really disappointed because in his on mind he felt like he was suppose to win and when it didn't happen he felt like he let people down. I think he started drinking more and hanging out with friends and as you said the substance abuse issue. I think also when he did start back training a few times he experienced some nagging injuries. I thought about this the other day, you know the WBC went to 12 round fights in 1983 just 6 months after that fight. I just wonder what Gerry's mentality would have been had it been a 12 round decision loss instead of the DQ/KO ? He would have actually been ahead on two of the judges scorecards had he not fouled Holmes and had points deducted. All hypothetical I know and the point deductions were legit fouls and that's part of it.
@@jogman262 , He also made 10 million dollars for that fight as well as I think over a million his previous fight the year before against Ken Norton. Remember 10 million dollars in 1982 was as big a purse that had ever been paid at that time. Today that would be nothing but having that kind of money and being 25 years old, well he maybe just wasn't hungry anymore. I am glad He and Holmes became really good friends years later.
What a left hook Cooney had -- wow! He looked sort of awkward and clumsy when throwing it, but man could he generate some force with it. Cooney's hook wasn't as snappy or as sharp as Tommy Morrison's or even David Tua's or Joe Frazier's, but I think it carried more blunt force than any of them.
I sparred with Jerry back at the Huntington A.C. when we were in the Gloves. Even that, at 156 lbs., we came at you like he was going to murder you. He didn't just throw a left, he would spring at you like a panther. Scared the hell out of me; I'd run for 3 straight minutes (only 126 lbs.), damned if I'd let him touch me, let along hit me. Coulda killed me! The most frightening, dangerous fighter I ever saw.
His manager Dennis Rappaport did everything wrong with Cooney, pushing him into a match with Holmes, and forcing Cooney to fight nobodys after with the exception of Spinks. Cooney had the potential to be a very good boxer if he was developed properly. By the Spinks match, i think Cooney was fed up with boxing.
@ Dean Ladue I think you’re absolutely right. I don’t think Cooney’s heart was completely in it from the get go. I think he boxed to please the memory of his deceased father and not himself.
Cooney was a great finisher when he had an opponent hurt/ but was never trained or learned to tie up and fight out of trouble when he was hurt himself !!!###
Indeed. As much as I like Foreman, he is not always to be trusted on these matters. He even said that Lennox Lewis was the greatest of all time, after he beat Tyson. It's just Foreman's way of praising someone, that's all it is.
George was just a good guy, very complimentary. I remember him saying he's glad he never had to fight Jerry Quarry, because he thought Jerry would give him problems.
Keith Jackson called the fight because Al Trautwig, originally scheduled to call it, had to remain with ABC's coverage earlier that day of the Indianapolis 500 which had been delayed six days by rain.
@TG7111P - Good point about Cooney not getting enough experience, and fighting old guys, but he aptly points out because he wasn't part of Don King's empire he had a very hard time getting quality fighters to fight him. Plus, some people were simply afraid of his power.
I think they tried after the Norton fight to match him with either Earnie Shavers or Joe Bugner. I think injuries to Cooney kept either one of those from happening.
@@jogman262 Both those guys were old too especially Bugner. Cooney needed to fight guys like Quick Tillis, Pinklon Thomas, Tim Witherspoon, Michael Dokes, etc. He may have lost a couple of those fights, but it would have made him a much better fighter I think.
@ Phil Anderson I agree. I think his management was afraid of matching him with those fighters because they wanted an unbeaten fighter. No law that says you can’t lose a fight and still become champ later. Just ask Dempsey, Louis and the second coming of Foreman.
Cooney fought the typical kinds of journeymen fighters fight on the way up. The mismanagement was in rushing him into the Holmes fight - in which he showed class and a good arsenal, going into a round no one ever fights in any more. Gerry was a combination puncher with massive power, a quick and solid jab and the ability to mix it up and set up his punches well. His spirit was broken after Holmes and other issues. Maybe his chin and heart would have been enough - maybe not. All imaginary now.
I remember attending this fight and sitting near the back of the arena, laughing my head off for like 3 days straight at those people who paid over $1000 per seat (1986 dollars) for ringside seats to this fight which lasted half of 1 round! 😂 🤣
i would not quit fighting or anything to help out family or friends ...realize you got a life to live too ..omg ..i am not cold hearted but love is love ..but hurting you to get back way you were ,,,understand this
His management protected him too much. He had no self confidence. Victor Valle and his two incompetent managers did him no good by feeding him easy fights. He’s a great guy. Seems to be happy now.
Foreman has said cooney was one of the hardest punchers he ever fought...he's said it in several of his books.even said it after he fought cooney...it's clear cooney wobbled him in the first round.foreman also talked about what a hard puncher he was on the David lederman show... also Holmes must of thought cooney was a really good fighter.he says in his book against the odds that he bet $5000.that cooney would beat spinks and also $5000 that cooney would beat Foreman...Holmes says he was surprised cooney lost both those fights
Just a decent fighter at World level that's all, may have grabbed one of the alphabet belts for a while if he hadn't fought a great in Larry Holmes instead.
Cooney was the best of the good fighters, of his time, but was not one of the great fighters. He could have been champion, fighting against one of the lesser champions. He gave a great champion, Holmes, a really good fight. Cooney was not a bum, not a great fighter, but was a real good fighter who did not do the things necessary to win a championship. He had a really strange path after the Holmes fight. What might have been will always be the question???
Cooneys left was a wrecking ball. I don’t think people realize that here (mid 1980’s) he’d be damn near 👁 to 👁 with modern day Tyson Fury. Nasty left hook. I wish he’d have Eddie Futch or Manny Steward in his corner.
They seem to take him as a joke when the guy was a great talent for such a large Man.6 foot 7 inch is very big and to have speed on top of that is rare.
Men who fought Foreman and Earnie Shavers said that Shavers hit harder. Among them would be Ron Lyle and Muhammad Ali. Ken Norton fought them both but I have never seen any quotes from him on the matter. Kenny also fought against Cooney. Sadly for Kenny, he got pole axed by all three, each thrashing more severe than the one that preceded it. Foreman stopped him in the second round. Shavers left him for dead in the first round and Cooney put out his lights in under a minute.
gerry was one of the most mismatched/mismanaged heavyweights of all time. a year off before holmes, then 2 years off after that? he should have fought a slow starter like weaver, and won that title first, then he would have made more money losing to holmes, spinks, and then tyson.
The perfect boxer. Cooney's left hook, Marciano's right hook, Ali's straight left & speed, Tyson's right uppercut, Holyfield's skill, Foreman's haymakers, Archie Moore's tenacity, Lennox Lewis' jab, Joe Lewis right cross. There are several guys that could throw epic left hooks I left out because Foreman said Cooney's was one of the hardest hitters he ever faced. Sorry Frasier, Morrison, Tyson, Dempsey. If you give this boxer Klitchko's size, this guy would probably kill more than he beat.
@@tony195869 Unfortunately, he got stuck on the ropes, allowing Jerry to get in perhaps 3-4 extra punches on Ken. Nothing brutal like the open shots. Then Ken got in a car accident, and he was a shadow of himsel.
In reality, Cooney was not as good as everyone thought he was. He achieved the Number One ranking by defeating aging heavyweight contenders who were past their primes like Jimmy Young, Ron Lyle and Ken Norton. If Cooney had fought those boxers 3-4 years earlier, I doubt he would have won. Before going up against Larry Holmes, Cooney should have fought other top contenders of that era like Mike Weaver, Gerry Coetzee, Michael Dokes and John Tate. Then we would have seen how good he really was. Look how he did against Michael Spinks. At least he knew when it was time to retire and didn't make an endless string of comebacks.
Cooney always fought cautiously against good opponents, it was so frustrating to see how methodical he was when being boxed, when he HAD to know that every round that went by made his chances of winning decrease. He needed to decide to win or lose the fight in 9 minutes and let it all hang out.
"in the heavyweight division right now there are no complete fighters" -1986 .. Its nice to know that trashtalking boxing talent in the decade you live in isn't exclusive to the 2000's... Good ol rose coloured retrosectoscope
Cooney and John the Best Mugabi suffered from the same thing. They were promising contenders who had a great knockout record, but were outlasted in the later rounds by the dominate champ of their era. Holmes and Hagler beat fight out of Cooney and Mugabi. Sure drugs, alcohol, management, etc were other factors too.
hello beautiful! I just punched in because of you. I talked to big george foreman this week. he's a friend of mine. and " smokin joe frazier" a.k.a. the truth machine. when frazier fought foreman, joe said " I'am gonna come out smokin". george replied " smokin is bad for your health". he got that line from archie moore. joe frazier...great humble man. love these guys!
+John Jamele - he did stagger Foreman but clearly he had no hope of winning against George and was soundly destroyed. You are making excuses by saying he was rusty, he tried and lost, no excuses.
Dolleparton watch da fight! Gerry hurt him.he hurt him real bad.than the bell went.i agree gerry was always rusty and mismanaged into his biggest fights.he was never gonna beat holmes.but cmon he shoulda destroyed spinks and coulda knocked out foreman.
Foreman was always one to overcomplement his opponents especially the ones he knocked out remember he said Ron Lyle was the hardest puncher,he was scared of Joe frazier yada yada.
Well, if someone touted him as the greatest contender of all time I"d agree with you that he is getting too much praise. Cooney was a guy who was moved along a bit too fast in my opinion. He got a lot of fan fare because he was white and probably fought for the title a few years before he was really ready for it. I think the fight with Holmes destroyed his confidence. He had a nice win over Norton but he really needed some fights against quailty oppoosition that would take him the distance or ..
You forgot Julio Cesar Chavez's chin... Or were you just referring to the heavyweights? Frankly, I'd take Thomas Hearn's jab over ANYBODY, but he's my all-time favorite, so I guess I'm biased...
A contender who fought only once for the title, got stopped, subsequently beat 3 nobodies, then got stopped and KTFO'd in a row, before he decided he had enough. Sure, that's fine. But what good was his left hook if he couldn't knock out Holmes, Spinks or Foreman, the 3 best fighters he faced? Not hating, just critizising.
Hmmm, Mr. Gregg was number 3 at the time? Tell me again how weak the current heavyweight division is? Sorry, but at THIS particular time (pre Tyson), either Klitchko brother would have wiped out the opposition.
Would been great if Cooney could have fought Wladimer Klitchko, about same height Wlad a little heavier better boxer Cooney little more powerful. That would be a great dream fight !
THE classic example of a fighter that was protected and didn't need to be. He went 13 rounds with a prime Larry Holmes. Should have been no shame but so much was put on him, mainly because he was white. Gerry could fight and he could hurt whatever he hit. But after becoming the number one contender, they stalled him. He could have been a champion.
He went awry 1981-82 when his manager's focus seemed to be only on protecting him ahead of the big payday against Holmes which he was in no way ready for. If he'd faced a couple of hard heads in 81 then maybe gone after Mike Weaver (WBA champ) and waited for late 82 or into 83 to line up Holmes he might've stood a way better chance. Or Weaver might've beaten him and knocked him back. It was a tough call, and they got it wrong. Holmes was one of the greatest heavyweights. Cooney wasn't.
He weighed 30lbs more than Frazier, and he lasted just as long versus Foreman. Difference is that he was knocked out COLD. I don't care much for the praise from other boxers, all I care about is who they beat. Cooney beat two previously formidable contenders; an over-the-top Ron Lyle and a faded Ken Norton. That's it. Foreman murdered him, Spinks completely outclassed him and Holmes just outboxed him. As for the record, I probably know about boxing than you. Please. Cooney was a hype.
How is being a contender for the championship of the world hype? Please explain this to me? Cooney outdid hundreds if not thousands of other men for the honor of fighting for the most coveted title in sports. What have youdone with your life? What do you mean Norton was faded? He just fought 15 thrilling rounds with Holmes before that. Fact is, Norton always had trouble with big punchers so it was no fluke that Cooney beat his ass.
Uh, no, he didn't quite make it, you're right about that. Also, Foreman tends to say many good things about everyone, just to be nice. Not saying that Cooney was a featherfist, but what good is your supposed "hardest left hook ever" if it couldn't knock out the most prominent names he faced? Oh, and by the way, you're a nobody as a boxer if you name is not even listed on wikipedia. And again, how are you a really good contender if you fought only once for the title and got stopped? Seriously.
He was garbage he was handed a title shot on a silver platter against Holmes and did nothing after that you can call it "hatin" i call it stone cold fact.
George Foreman said Cooney was one of the 2 hardest hitters he ever fought. That's enough for me.
Which means nothing when you fight a real boxer like Holmes or Spinks.
@@proplayer566 , Holmes said Cooney was the best fighter he ever faced and would have been the Champion for years if Holmes himself hadn't been around.
@@stephenmcloughlin7718 Just talk. He also said Norton was the best he fought. Jerry had some power, but so does other fighters. Jerry is who we thought he was! And Spinks proved it. Then an older Foreman had to prove it again that Jerry was only a great white hope.
@@proplayer566 , Jerry ? You are talking about Quarry so? Another Irish American , but only a Cruiserweight really. He still put Ernie Shavers away in one round though. Cooney was beating most people in the first round, until he lost v Holmes, he went on a drinking and drugs spree then as he couldn't handle the loss and was never the same fighter again. Cooney beat Norton in about 10 secs,so I would stick with Holmes' assertions that Cooney was the best he ever fought.
@@stephenmcloughlin7718 No! I am talking about Jerry overrated Cooney. Don't want to hear nothing about drugs caused his lost. When he fought Norton, Norton was an old man and washed up. Norton had already been knocked out by old Shavers and Foreman. Cooney could not take a punch. This is why he was knocked out by Spinks. But because he is so called white, you will want him to be more but he was not and never will be considered a top heavyweight. Only in your mind.
Gerry was a good fighter with great potential who was rushed into a title fight with a prime Larry Holmes before he was allowed to fully develop. I always thought his managers did him a disservice by going for a big payday before Gerry had matured into a complete fighter. Eddie Gregg was a good fighter who was really a pumped up light heavyweight fighting out of out of his division.
I know a match with Cooney and WBA champ Mike Weaver was in the making first but fell through. I think that would have been a better opportunity for Cooney. Nothing against Weaver but I think Cooney would have beat him, and then be in a better place to unify against Holmes.
Gregg was a pumped up LHW at nearly 6’6” and a cut 220 ??
I think not.
Gregg never fought below 200 pounds. What makes you think he was a blown up light heavy?
gerry cooney is such a lovely man soft spoken and just all around nice guy. totally under rated
what's underrated about him? his personality? Personality may sell the fighter but it doesn't win the fight. Not underrated. Left hand all day......
Oer rated due to being so called white.
@@firstlast1278 He knocked out Phillip Brown with the right hand.
If Cooney had attacked Spinks like this he might have taken him out early too. He needed to just go for it in that fight, willing to win it or lose it in 2-3 rounds.
Agree ! it's a shame he lost that fight . Spinks was a great fighter ! but Cooney at his size , and being one of the hardest hitters ! should have been able to take him out .
Wrong! Spinks was too good of a boxer. Plus Spinks had power.
@ Lawayne Bake
Spinks had the hand speed too. I think that caught Cooney off guard.
Always liked Cooney. Quality dude. Wish he would of won the title.
Actually Cooney was on the Coke and Alcohol addiction at the time of Holmes Fight also, he just didn't want to use it as an excuse for the loss, he is grateful to be sober today!
Gerry is a cool dude and a wicked puncher.
Foreman and Holmes said Cooney was the the top 3 power punchers in the game. His left hook was the best in boxing. He had a glass jaw, that was his problem. Holmes got hit with probably 30 solid body shots and took them, I was amazed at how much gas he still had with those body punches.
Djem @ reply and you are gay foreman said he was the strongest ever fought and you are only gay
@@vinrusso821Larry was in top shape physically and emotionally for the fight. He could take them on the chin and to the body. You don't stay champ for that long without those assets. I wouldn't say Jerry had a glass jaw. Spinks was something else, but I don't think that he hurt Larry. But he landed a 20 punch combination on Jerry, and that comeback ended.
They're was talk of Cooney fighting a young Tyson, luckily for Gerry it never happened.
@ vin russo
I read were Holmes was training with a martial arts instructor that was showing him how to hold his arms against his body to absorb some of Cooney’s power.
George Foreman was Sonny Liston's sparring partner when he started out as a pro after the 1968 Olympics, and Foreman said that Sonny was the hardest puncher that ever hit him. It would have been something else to have seen those 2 guys fight each other when they were both in their prime......Sonny between 1958 and 1964, and Foreman between 1970 and 1977.
cooney's cornermen always used to run in the ring and celebrate his knockouts like every one of them was a superbowl or world series win.
Two things, they didn’t have confidence in him so they were relieved and his fans were emotional so they played to that.
thanks for the upload, that was awesome!
I gotta give Gregg a lot of credit for having a pretty damn good chin. It took a considerable number of Cooney's left hooks,
before he finally went down, and lost. If Foreman says they're damn near lethal, I have to say this guy Gregg has a better than average chin......
George Foreman said Gerry was the hardest hitter he ever fought
Cooney never hit Foreman! I bet Cooney says Foreman was hardest hitter ever!
Cooney never fought George Forman Cooney was a bum
@@kennethcharles1386 are you fucking stupid? Look up coney vs foreman. I hope you feel arrogant.
@@matthewmauran9453 Cooney hit Foreman with a really good left hook that shook Foreman. Foreman took it and crushed Cooney the next round, but watch that fight and George’s interview on Letterman. George has a huge shiner.
@growandgame
Along with Ron Lyle.
@Coachwkr - The only "mis-management" that Cooney did was the fact he wouldn't sign his future away to Don King and let his career be ruined by him the way so many others did.
Well, he just didnt quite make it is the only explanation. Atleast he tried though. He gave Holmes a pretty tough fight though! And Foreman said Cooney hit him one of the hardest shots he ever took. And the guys Cooney beat were hardly nobodies. They were just fighters YOU never heard of! Go back and read about the era and the division and you'll get a different perspective on things. Gerry Cooney was no fluke! He was a really good contender!
Ler em português
I have and Cooney was nothing but a great white hope. No more!
@@proplayer566 how do you rate Ken Norton? Because Cooney destroyed him
@@ah93704 Old and washed up when he fought Cooney. Norton was knocked out in first or 2rd round anytime he went against a puncher. This is why Cooney's management pick Norton. To make Cooney look good. Knocked out 2rd round Foreman, 1st round Shavers. Norton never made it to the 3rd round against any puncher.
Turned out to be Gerry's last win. Gerry would be inactive for another year before his loss to Michael Spinks. It makes you just wanna scratch your head to know how much better a fighter this guy could have been had he had more fights and rounds under his belt. Just a shame and we will never know.
@ CURTIS MCNEIL
I think he had some substance abuse problems. I remember an interview before the Foreman fight how he said he should have never been in the ring with Spinks that night.
@@jogman262 , Yea I mean I watched his fight with Holmes again the other night and that Gerry Cooney was definitely not the one in there with Michael Spinks. He fought Holmes in an outdoor arena and it was well over 100 degrees in that ring that night. I remember Holmes having blood in his shoes because of blisters. I think Gerry was really disappointed because in his on mind he felt like he was suppose to win and when it didn't happen he felt like he let people down. I think he started drinking more and hanging out with friends and as you said the substance abuse issue. I think also when he did start back training a few times he experienced some nagging injuries. I thought about this the other day, you know the WBC went to 12 round fights in 1983 just 6 months after that fight. I just wonder what Gerry's mentality would have been had it been a 12 round decision loss instead of the DQ/KO ? He would have actually been ahead on two of the judges scorecards had he not fouled Holmes and had points deducted. All hypothetical I know and the point deductions were legit fouls and that's part of it.
@CURTIS MCNEIL
Right. I think after the Holmes fight, Cooney’s heart just wasn’t totally in it anymore.
@@jogman262 , He also made 10 million dollars for that fight as well as I think over a million his previous fight the year before against Ken Norton. Remember 10 million dollars in 1982 was as big a purse that had ever been paid at that time. Today that would be nothing but having that kind of money and being 25 years old, well he maybe just wasn't hungry anymore. I am glad He and Holmes became really good friends years later.
@@curtismcneil8695SUPPOSED, not "suppose".
Great link. Thanks for sharing.
I met him at p g a in florida he a good guy klithco was training there i told him i know he could have beaten klithco if he had a better situation
What a left hook Cooney had -- wow! He looked sort of awkward and clumsy when throwing it, but man could he generate some force with it. Cooney's hook wasn't as snappy or as sharp as Tommy Morrison's or even David Tua's or Joe Frazier's, but I think it carried more blunt force than any of them.
I sparred with Jerry back at the Huntington A.C. when we were in the Gloves. Even that, at 156 lbs., we came at you like he was going to murder you. He didn't just throw a left, he would spring at you like a panther. Scared the hell out of me; I'd run for 3 straight minutes (only 126 lbs.), damned if I'd let him touch me, let along hit me. Coulda killed me! The most frightening, dangerous fighter I ever saw.
I grew up on Long Island too. I never got the feeling that Gerry really liked boxing or had any desire to be great. Alcohol/drug problem?
Gerry Cooney, what could be a great champion, had the most mis-mananged career ever.
No he was never going to be champion. Never would beat Holmes.
His manager Dennis Rappaport did everything wrong with Cooney, pushing him into a match with Holmes, and forcing Cooney to fight nobodys after with the exception of Spinks. Cooney had the potential to be a very good boxer if he was developed properly. By the Spinks match, i think Cooney was fed up with boxing.
@ Dean Ladue
I think you’re absolutely right. I don’t think Cooney’s heart was completely in it from the get go. I think he boxed to please the memory of his deceased father and not himself.
Cooney was a great finisher when he had an opponent hurt/ but was never trained or learned to tie up and fight out of trouble when he was hurt himself !!!###
Those were the days...........boxing on network tv....
Indeed. This was the first fight I ever recorded on my VCR.
His brother Tom was in the Golden Gloves and won. Gerry gave it his best.
Indeed. As much as I like Foreman, he is not always to be trusted on these matters. He even said that Lennox Lewis was the greatest of all time, after he beat Tyson. It's just Foreman's way of praising someone, that's all it is.
Correct!
George was just a good guy, very complimentary. I remember him saying he's glad he never had to fight Jerry Quarry, because he thought Jerry would give him problems.
Keith Jackson called the fight because Al Trautwig, originally scheduled to call it, had to remain with ABC's coverage earlier that day of the Indianapolis 500 which had been delayed six days by rain.
Great video!
Listen to what George foreman said about cooney. He said out of all the boxer he faced cooney had the hardest punch 👊
He punched hard but that's about it. Couldn't fight, no skills and a weak chin.
Cooney was very skilled and good hand speed for his size. His biggest shortcomings were average chin and lack of quality management.
@TG7111P - Good point about Cooney not getting enough experience, and fighting old guys, but he aptly points out because he wasn't part of Don King's empire he had a very hard time getting quality fighters to fight him. Plus, some people were simply afraid of his power.
I think they tried after the Norton fight to match him with either Earnie Shavers or Joe Bugner. I think injuries to Cooney kept either one of those from happening.
@@jogman262 Both those guys were old too especially Bugner.
Cooney needed to fight guys like Quick Tillis, Pinklon Thomas, Tim Witherspoon, Michael Dokes, etc. He may have lost a couple of those fights, but it would have made him a much better fighter I think.
@ Phil Anderson
I agree. I think his management was afraid of matching him with those fighters because they wanted an unbeaten fighter. No law that says you can’t lose a fight and still become champ later. Just ask Dempsey, Louis and the second coming of Foreman.
There were a number of guys worse than Cooney who won titles. He would have been better off if he stayed more active.
Gerry is happy he done great
If Cooney learned to use his right more, he would have been champion.
Cooney fought the typical kinds of journeymen fighters fight on the way up. The mismanagement was in rushing him into the Holmes fight - in which he showed class and a good arsenal, going into a round no one ever fights in any more. Gerry was a combination puncher with massive power, a quick and solid jab and the ability to mix it up and set up his punches well. His spirit was broken after Holmes and other issues. Maybe his chin and heart would have been enough - maybe not. All imaginary now.
I remember attending this fight and sitting near the back of the arena, laughing my head off for like 3 days straight at those people who paid over $1000 per seat (1986 dollars) for ringside seats to this fight which lasted half of 1 round! 😂 🤣
This fight shows why Gerry failed o fully develop- he rarely fought beyond the first few rounds against a quality opponents.
What a blistering performance from Cooney to KO the #3 ranked heavyweight in a single round.
Really a light weight pick for Cooney.
@@proplayer566 Is it fair to say Eddie Gregg was the #3 contender for Larry Holmes' title? If so, is Cooney to blame?
@@bh1422 No Cooney did what he was expected to do against a boxer with no power punch.
Gregg dropped tex cobb
i would not quit fighting or anything to help out family or friends ...realize you got a life to live too ..omg ..i am not cold hearted but love is love ..but hurting you to get back way you were ,,,understand this
His management protected him too much. He had no self confidence. Victor Valle and his two incompetent managers did him no good by feeding him easy fights. He’s a great guy. Seems to be happy now.
Foreman has said cooney was one of the hardest punchers he ever fought...he's said it in several of his books.even said it after he fought cooney...it's clear cooney wobbled him in the first round.foreman also talked about what a hard puncher he was on the David lederman show... also Holmes must of thought cooney was a really good fighter.he says in his book against the odds that he bet $5000.that cooney would beat spinks and also $5000 that cooney would beat Foreman...Holmes says he was surprised cooney lost both those fights
Just a decent fighter at World level that's all, may have grabbed one of the alphabet belts for a while if he hadn't fought a great in Larry Holmes instead.
Could have been like the first WBO champ.
Cooney was the best of the good fighters, of his time, but was not one of the great fighters. He could have been champion, fighting against one of the lesser champions. He gave a great champion, Holmes, a really good fight. Cooney was not a bum, not a great fighter, but was a real good fighter who did not do the things necessary to win a championship. He had a really strange path after the Holmes fight. What might have been will always be the question???
Cooneys left was a wrecking ball.
I don’t think people realize that here (mid 1980’s) he’d be damn near 👁 to 👁 with modern day Tyson Fury.
Nasty left hook. I wish he’d have Eddie Futch or Manny Steward in his corner.
If I'm not mistaken, this fight was the last victory of Cooney's career. He went on to lose to Michael Spinks and then George Foreman.
Gerry just never knew how to clinch well. When he was hurt just couldn't survive. He sure packed a wallop with that left.
They seem to take him as a joke when the guy was a great talent for such a large Man.6 foot 7 inch is very big and to have speed on top of that is rare.
Men who fought Foreman and Earnie Shavers said that Shavers hit harder. Among them would be Ron Lyle and Muhammad Ali. Ken Norton fought them both but I have never seen any quotes from him on the matter. Kenny also fought against Cooney. Sadly for Kenny, he got pole axed by all three, each thrashing more severe than the one that preceded it.
Foreman stopped him in the second round. Shavers left him for dead in the first round and Cooney put out his lights in under a minute.
thats a good observation. Lots of good fighters that could have made it that didnt due to mismanagement!
gerry was one of the most mismatched/mismanaged heavyweights of all time. a year off before holmes, then 2 years off after that? he should have fought a slow starter like weaver, and won that title first, then he would have made more money losing to holmes, spinks, and then tyson.
6:09
Look how tiny he makes those gloves look.
You can see Greggs demeanor change after the first 1 or 2 exchanges. Cooney hit NASTY FN HARD
The perfect boxer. Cooney's left hook, Marciano's right hook, Ali's straight left & speed, Tyson's right uppercut, Holyfield's skill, Foreman's haymakers, Archie Moore's tenacity, Lennox Lewis' jab, Joe Lewis right cross. There are several guys that could throw epic left hooks I left out because Foreman said Cooney's was one of the hardest hitters he ever faced. Sorry Frasier, Morrison, Tyson, Dempsey. If you give this boxer Klitchko's size, this guy would probably kill more than he beat.
Joe Louis' straight right actually did damage instead of that flicking jab of Ali.
Gerry Cooney was part Joe Frazier, part Larry Bird, and part Peter Brady! Far too sensitive for the "fight game", by far!
James Hash Gerry cooney destroyed ken Norton ... I mean Norton got walloped
James Hash Peter Brady! That's good.
@@tony195869 Unfortunately, he got stuck on the ropes, allowing Jerry to get in perhaps 3-4 extra punches on Ken. Nothing brutal like the open shots. Then Ken got in a car accident, and he was a shadow of himsel.
@Paul Kryder Totally the Department of Redundancy Department shit there. By far.
@TG7111P Cooney was too protected, and he had too many easy KOs along the way. I agree with you.
In reality, Cooney was not as good as everyone thought he was. He achieved the Number One ranking by defeating aging heavyweight contenders who were past their primes like Jimmy Young, Ron Lyle and Ken Norton. If Cooney had fought those boxers 3-4 years earlier, I doubt he would have won. Before going up against Larry Holmes, Cooney should have fought other top contenders of that era like Mike Weaver, Gerry Coetzee, Michael Dokes and John Tate. Then we would have seen how good he really was. Look how he did against Michael Spinks. At least he knew when it was time to retire and didn't make an endless string of comebacks.
came over to my school today! woohoo
Cooney was bad ass!! Not the best, but ALWAYS dangerous.
Spinks was made to order for Cooney how he got kod by him is still a mystery to me
Cooney always fought cautiously against good opponents, it was so frustrating to see how methodical he was when being boxed, when he HAD to know that every round that went by made his chances of winning decrease. He needed to decide to win or lose the fight in 9 minutes and let it all hang out.
"in the heavyweight division right now there are no complete fighters" -1986 .. Its nice to know that trashtalking boxing talent in the decade you live in isn't exclusive to the 2000's... Good ol rose coloured retrosectoscope
"Baby Huey"in boxing trunks.
Cooney and John the Best Mugabi suffered from the same thing. They were promising contenders who had a great knockout record, but were outlasted in the later rounds by the dominate champ of their era. Holmes and Hagler beat fight out of Cooney and Mugabi. Sure drugs, alcohol, management, etc were other factors too.
I was at this fight! Cooney could of been champ! would of been great for the white race!!! He should have stayed off the coke!!!
The white race? Wow!
Actually didn't know the great Keith Jackson ever did boxing.
He almost had a fight scheduled with Mike Weaver but his management went for the Holmes fight. Huge mistake.
hello beautiful! I just punched in because of you. I talked to big george foreman this week. he's a friend of mine. and " smokin joe frazier" a.k.a. the truth machine. when frazier fought foreman, joe said " I'am gonna come out smokin". george replied " smokin is bad for your health". he got that line from archie moore. joe frazier...great humble man. love these guys!
After the Holmes fight Cooney became a Coke Addict.. thats why you didnt see him for years! They should have had 2 or 3 fights with Holmes..
How many countless others lost to either Holmes, foreman or spinks. Cooney at least hurt all three of those greats!
rusty fenceford
What do you mean, Cooney hurt Foreman? Foreman beat Cooney up, to the point of unconsciousness!
+John Jamele - he did stagger Foreman but clearly he had no hope of winning against George and was soundly destroyed. You are making excuses by saying he was rusty, he tried and lost, no excuses.
+1980Triumph he was overwhelmed against Foreman but so was Frazier
stevemtc1 - True
Dolleparton watch da fight! Gerry hurt him.he hurt him real bad.than the bell went.i agree gerry was always rusty and mismanaged into his biggest fights.he was never gonna beat holmes.but cmon he shoulda destroyed spinks and coulda knocked out foreman.
Foreman was always one to overcomplement his opponents especially the ones he knocked out remember he said Ron Lyle was the hardest puncher,he was scared of Joe frazier yada yada.
Well, if someone touted him as the greatest contender of all time I"d agree with you that he is getting too much praise. Cooney was a guy who was moved along a bit too fast in my opinion. He got a lot of fan fare because he was white and probably fought for the title a few years before he was really ready for it. I think the fight with Holmes destroyed his confidence. He had a nice win over Norton but he really needed some fights against quailty oppoosition that would take him the distance or ..
You forgot Julio Cesar Chavez's chin... Or were you just referring to the heavyweights? Frankly, I'd take Thomas Hearn's jab over ANYBODY, but he's my all-time favorite, so I guess I'm biased...
Jerry was the great white hope that fell short.
His hood isn't a good look lol
A contender who fought only once for the title, got stopped, subsequently beat 3 nobodies, then got stopped and KTFO'd in a row, before he decided he had enough. Sure, that's fine. But what good was his left hook if he couldn't knock out Holmes, Spinks or Foreman, the 3 best fighters he faced? Not hating, just critizising.
Hmmm, Mr. Gregg was number 3 at the time? Tell me again how weak the current heavyweight division is? Sorry, but at THIS particular time (pre Tyson), either Klitchko brother would have wiped out the opposition.
Yeah, Cooney didnt know how or when to clinch and hold.
cooney should have left that hat on during the fight........
*GERRY LOOKS ROCKY BALBOA !!*
Little shorter tho
His last win. I think he had this fight so he could go to his HS reunion and hold his head high.
he actually said that his left hook was better than fraizers :o
This Great White Hope fell to the Great White Coke! Drugs and alcohol were as much a problem for him as anything
lavern 4101 ur so not right i bet u could never do what gerry did in the ring.
Love the stereotypical Irish brims.
Would been great if Cooney could have fought Wladimer Klitchko, about same height Wlad a little heavier better boxer Cooney little more powerful. That would be a great dream fight !
Coney would beat Fury and the rest of the imposters today..
Gregg was number 3 in the World ??? hell no
Holy shit he was 1,232lbs? No wonder he punched so hard.
THE classic example of a fighter that was protected and didn't need to be. He went 13 rounds with a prime Larry Holmes. Should have been no shame but so much was put on him, mainly because he was white. Gerry could fight and he could hurt whatever he hit. But after becoming the number one contender, they stalled him. He could have been a champion.
He was a beast…against tomato cans. Put him up against any real fighter and you saw what happened.
I love eating chips in the state of Georgia!!! My personal favorite are bbq followed closely by sour cream and onion.
A converted southpaw. So the left hook was his out punch.
He went awry 1981-82 when his manager's focus seemed to be only on protecting him ahead of the big payday against Holmes which he was in no way ready for. If he'd faced a couple of hard heads in 81 then maybe gone after Mike Weaver (WBA champ) and waited for late 82 or into 83 to line up Holmes he might've stood a way better chance. Or Weaver might've beaten him and knocked him back. It was a tough call, and they got it wrong. Holmes was one of the greatest heavyweights. Cooney wasn't.
it probably was a heavier shot. frazier used his left hook differently though
Peter Brady??? Well,I guess Peter BRADY and Gerry COONEY are both Irish lads!!!!!(Though Peter had a better chin!!!!)
He weighed 30lbs more than Frazier, and he lasted just as long versus Foreman. Difference is that he was knocked out COLD. I don't care much for the praise from other boxers, all I care about is who they beat. Cooney beat two previously formidable contenders; an over-the-top Ron Lyle and a faded Ken Norton. That's it. Foreman murdered him, Spinks completely outclassed him and Holmes just outboxed him. As for the record, I probably know about boxing than you. Please. Cooney was a hype.
He sounds like Steven segall
Tough test for Cooney.
He could have pulled a muscle or something.
A bit like Corey Sanders. Plenty of heart and great left hand but limited. The very best have it all. Mind, body and skill.
How is being a contender for the championship of the world hype? Please explain this to me? Cooney outdid hundreds if not thousands of other men for the honor of fighting for the most coveted title in sports. What have youdone with your life? What do you mean Norton was faded? He just fought 15 thrilling rounds with Holmes before that. Fact is, Norton always had trouble with big punchers so it was no fluke that Cooney beat his ass.
Uh, no, he didn't quite make it, you're right about that. Also, Foreman tends to say many good things about everyone, just to be nice. Not saying that Cooney was a featherfist, but what good is your supposed "hardest left hook ever" if it couldn't knock out the most prominent names he faced? Oh, and by the way, you're a nobody as a boxer if you name is not even listed on wikipedia. And again, how are you a really good contender if you fought only once for the title and got stopped? Seriously.
watching cooney fight was fun,watching klitschko"fight" is boring
I think the Holmes fight ruined him too damaging
He was garbage he was handed a title shot on a silver platter against Holmes and did nothing after that you can call it "hatin" i call it stone cold fact.
Fruit of the Loon.