Prime Michael Moorer vs Prime Gerry Cooney

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by mr. magoo, Feb 7, 2017.

  1. mr. magoo

    mr. magoo VIP Member Full Member

    Joined:
    Jan 3, 2007
    Messages:
    52,130
    Likes Received:
    27,527
    In fairness, Ken Norton and Ron Lyle were pretty shot when Cooney beat them. Young was also past prime but I agree he still had relevance and hence was a good win. But yes I pretty much concur with what you're saying. Alex Stewart's opposition was dire to say the least. He was still fighting guys on journeyman and trial horse level well into the prime and latter stages of his career. Giving an ancient Foreman a great fight in a losing effort was likely the cornerstone of his resume. Even some of the lesser known guys who Cooney beat like Eddie Gregg, Phil Brown, George Chaplin, etc were far better than the Dave Jaco's, Terry Armstrongs, Arthel Lawhorne's who Stewart's record is largely comprised of.
     
  2. mr. magoo

    mr. magoo VIP Member Full Member

    Joined:
    Jan 3, 2007
    Messages:
    52,130
    Likes Received:
    27,527
    In which meeting? The first or the rematch? I already stated that I didn't see the rematch when Evander was past prime anyway and also gave my in depth take on the first bout which I didn't think was that terrific of a showing.
     
  3. Unforgiven

    Unforgiven VIP Member banned Full Member

    Joined:
    Nov 24, 2005
    Messages:
    58,748
    Likes Received:
    21,596
    Yes, because Cooney got the big fights when he was similarly over-the-hill. He got a fight with Foreman for big money, and was blasted out. He didn't have to fight those small-time fights. He was Gerry Cooney, the great white hype.


    Yes, you keep saying.

    I've been over this too many times.
    Yeah, Cooney might have beat someone who was genuinely borderline top 10 sometime, maybe once, maybe twice, in his entire career. That's good.

    He arguably beat Foreman. The fight was close anyway.

    I'm not saying Stewart rates as high as Cooney even. But let's not pretend the gulf in real achievement is wide at all.
     
  4. Unforgiven

    Unforgiven VIP Member banned Full Member

    Joined:
    Nov 24, 2005
    Messages:
    58,748
    Likes Received:
    21,596
    The first fight.
     
  5. mr. magoo

    mr. magoo VIP Member Full Member

    Joined:
    Jan 3, 2007
    Messages:
    52,130
    Likes Received:
    27,527
    As I said I gave him the fifth round. After Duva told Holy to stop fighting foolish that was the end of Stewart's hurrah.
     
  6. Azzer85

    Azzer85 Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

    Joined:
    Mar 13, 2010
    Messages:
    28,283
    Likes Received:
    473
    Cooney, he's got the size and the mean streak to really do a number on Moorer.

    Out of the two, id say Moorer was the more vulnerable.

    We'd get our moneys worth from it.
     
  7. Unforgiven

    Unforgiven VIP Member banned Full Member

    Joined:
    Nov 24, 2005
    Messages:
    58,748
    Likes Received:
    21,596
    It was a tough fight, that's all I said. Not close, but tough.
    Rather than "so scared he falls down before being hit", (as Dubblechin described him).
     
  8. mr. magoo

    mr. magoo VIP Member Full Member

    Joined:
    Jan 3, 2007
    Messages:
    52,130
    Likes Received:
    27,527
    Okay well I agree I never saw that happen to him. The closest thing to that might have been the Tyson fight and even then Stewart still rose off the canvas a couple times before it was over.
     
  9. Unforgiven

    Unforgiven VIP Member banned Full Member

    Joined:
    Nov 24, 2005
    Messages:
    58,748
    Likes Received:
    21,596
    He might have had him confused with Bruce Seldon, to be fair.
     
  10. mr. magoo

    mr. magoo VIP Member Full Member

    Joined:
    Jan 3, 2007
    Messages:
    52,130
    Likes Received:
    27,527
    Yeah that fight looked like a dive.
     
  11. heizenberg

    heizenberg Well-Known Member Full Member

    Joined:
    Nov 6, 2013
    Messages:
    1,981
    Likes Received:
    285
    Moorer was a sound defensive fighter and knew his way around the ring well. He also in pretty much every fight aside from with Big George showed incredible recuperative skills. As I stated in my post I think it would be possible for Cooney to get to him and take him out. But I wouldn't rule out the possibility of Moorer getting rocked but surviving the round then coming back and turning the tables on Cooney. Moorer had the power to hurt Cooney I believe. Interesting side note to this is Cooney's loss to Spinks. Apparently going into the fight Cooney was not at his best. If he was I wonder if he would've been able to over power Spinks. Spinks a former light heavyweight champ like Moorer hammered him. In my mind Moorer was a better heavyweight then Spinks. If Cooney brought that kinda effort in against Moorer I'd expect a similar result to the Spinks fight
     
    blackhercules likes this.
  12. groot

    groot Active Member banned Full Member

    Joined:
    Jan 22, 2017
    Messages:
    553
    Likes Received:
    162
    Little m spinks kicked conneys a.s
    Stop trying to rewrite history.
    Ps if conney so great why didnt he win the title.
     
    blackhercules likes this.
  13. zadfrak

    zadfrak Boxing Junkie Full Member

    Joined:
    Feb 17, 2008
    Messages:
    8,718
    Likes Received:
    3,398
    MM. tko7.

    I think his southpaw style is not one Cooney is going to solve. In the meantime, that connect % of Moorer might be 70% or so. Cooney had zero head movement and leaned in. Throw a punch at 12 o'clock and it lands. He slips nothing. And when he tried to parry punches, it was comical.

    I also think that nasty right hook from a southpaw is something Cooney gets hit with clean. It wasn't as if Valle would even bother to get decent sparring partners. He wouldn't even go so far as to get a southpaw. So simply put, Gerry is confused in there.

    So I really like Moorer and those hands up a ton more than Cooney's defense. Jeez, that really is something, isn't it?

    And that precision and accuracy of MM to pretty much never miss the 2nd/3rd punch of a combo. He even threw nasty uppercuts himself and Cooney is made to order for that punch. Gerry neeeds a right hand against this opponent and I don't see it landing much.
     
    Unforgiven and blackhercules like this.
  14. Saad54

    Saad54 Boxing Junkie Full Member

    Joined:
    Dec 10, 2014
    Messages:
    10,925
    Likes Received:
    6,803
    I'd go with Cooney by early KO

    He's got the size and power advantage. He wouldn't have to go looking too hard to find Moorer. Michael Spinks was more elusive than Moorer and fought a past it Cooney.
     
  15. NoNeck

    NoNeck Pugilist Specialist

    Joined:
    Apr 3, 2012
    Messages:
    29,464
    Likes Received:
    20,064
    I want to pick Moorer, but my brain sees him getting taken out early.