What if Gerry Cooney had somehow gotten lucky against Spinks?

[Bigcat]

The Spinks fight wasn't for a title, but Tyson would have been very interested in what kind of revinue that fight may have brought....... Cooney will have probably taken the fight and got caught early and stopped gallantly.. and then hid under a rock for a decade, before coming back for some more loose cash....

[Rubber Warrior]

Originally Posted by Bigcat

The Spinks fight wasn't for a title, but Tyson would have been very interested in what kind of revinue that fight may have brought....... Cooney will have probably taken the fight and got caught early and stopped gallantly.. and then hid under a rock for a decade, before coming back for some more loose cash....

The Tyson camp was historically keen to the value of defeating Spinks despite no alphabet title. They knew he was the linear champ, and having THAT sense of history, they were after "the man". If Cooney had of beaten Spinks, Tyson's management would have gone after him, rest assured. The money would have been monumental, but they ALWAYS knew what they were after, conventional thinking and alphabet marketing aside.

[GazOC]

As RB says, Tyson and his managment were very concerned over the 'historical' aspect and would have wanted to fight Cooney ASAP to clear up any doubt.

[Titan1]

Gerry fights Tyson and gets the serious coldcock.

[Mendoza]

Originally Posted by Bill1234

He probably would have gone for the big money fight with Tyson and get beat up, disapear for a while, then have the fight with Foreman, and stay retired.

I think so too. But team Cooney would have to push him out of his own dressing room to get him in the ring with Tyson.

[Bummy Davis]

Originally Posted by Mendoza

I think so too. But team Cooney would have to push him out of his own dressing room to get him in the ring with Tyson.

Gerry had balls, he lacked confidence and had a serious drug habit prior to the Holmes fight and he fought 2 rds in 2 years leading up to Holmes....His brother Tom had a serious habit and Gerry was not far behind..he also was a drinker and had a lot of ladies on him....he did not really have the hunger and was over protected by the wacko twins for the big bucks and he knew it....but he did get the big payday...He went in a threw down vs Foreman and would have done the same with Tyson. Gerry was going out on his sheild

[The Mighty One]

He would have gone to Disney World.

[Rico Spadafora]

Originally Posted by Bummy Davis

Gerry had balls, he lacked confidence and had a serious drug habit prior to the Holmes fight and he fought 2 rds in 2 years leading up to Holmes....His brother Tom had a serious habit and Gerry was not far behind..he also was a drinker and had a lot of ladies on him....he did not really have the hunger and was over protected by the wacko twins for the big bucks and he knew it....but he did get the big payday...He went in a threw down vs Foreman and would have done the same with Tyson. Gerry was going out on his sheild

I could never figure out if the drug/alcohol problems were before or after the Holmes fight. That having been inactive for 13 months prior to the Holmes fight was idiotic by his management the guy had fought something like 5 rounds in 3 years or something like that. Can't prepare for a big fight with that amount of inactivity.

[Bigcat]

When Gerry was preparing to box Big George in that fight in AC.. I just couldn't understand the logic in Gerry just having one behind closed doors tune up... George was BIG News and in order to stage a decent moneyspinning comeback it would have made sense to slaughter a few characters to whooop up tickets at least.. Wesley P Watson in a locked up Gym in NY somewhere only got Gerry cheap sparring...

[Rubber Warrior]

Originally Posted by janitor

It will be interesting to wait and see.

David Haye has ran at the spikes on the ramparts so far.

At cruiserweight he would have fought a Trex that could have made the weight.

That's the problem. With Haye it is ALL about the "wait" part.

[MRBILL]

Gerry Cooney did land a few thudding shots to Spinks in '87..... Its just that Gerry boy couldn't follow-up cause he was rusty as a door nail......

Gerry boy got iced in round 5 from a wicked barrage of shots............ I lost $$$ on that KO............. I thought Gerry boy would dust Spinks........


MR.BILL

[Jorodz]

Gerry cooney is still one of the great what if's in boxing, at least of the past 30 years:

1)Wicked left hook-it was a monster
2)Terrific jab-he was damn near holding his own in the early and mid rounds against holmes, no easy feat
3)Heart-as stated above, big heart

He had many tools but inept management, distasteful racial undertones thrust upon him and alcohol problems negated any potential.

Had he gotten lucky against spinks, not out of the realm of possibility if he had TRAINED, we would have seen him against tyson. and 20 minutes later, we would have seen him in the hospital. i don't see him coming back after that, even against foreman who was a murderous puncher

[Rubber Warrior]

BTW - watch the bout closely and you'll see Spinks deliver - time and again - one of THE most effective and hurtful left jabs in that one. Watch it. It was the sort of jab that would, I'm sure, draw a tip of the hat from Holmes, Liston, Foreman, et al.

[Stevie G]

If Cooney had managed to stop Spinks,I could envisage his next opponent a comebacking Larry Holmes. Think about it. Holmes would want the fight as he would be having his first fight for coming on two years against a guy he'd previously beaten. Also,as Cooney had beaten Spinks,larry would see a victory as indirectly wiping out the bad taste of his controversial loss to Michael. Cooney would n't be able to resist the fight because of the big bucks that he would get. As for what would happen ? In spite of Holmes being 38 and rusty,Cooney because of all sorts of problems,would have deteriorated just as much as Larry had,and as Holmes was so dominant in their 1982 bout,he would be just as much superior in 1987/88. Cooney would lose,probably by a lop-sided decision.

[mr. magoo]

Originally Posted by Rico Spadafora

I could never figure out if the drug/alcohol problems were before or after the Holmes fight. That having been inactive for 13 months prior to the Holmes fight was idiotic by his management the guy had fought something like 5 rounds in 3 years or something like that. Can't prepare for a big fight with that amount of inactivity.

In one of his interviews several years ago, he said that Don King owned most of the top fighters in the division, and Cooney couldn't get any big marquee opponents. Apparently, he was also negotiating to fight Mike Weaver, but Bob Arum talked ( or bribed ) the WBA into giving James Tillis a shot instead.