Gerry Cooney is an all time great

I see your point...and he has impressing knockouts. He is "somewhat ATG" but not in the same league as Frazier or Norton. Although he beat Norton and might have an even more brutal left hook than Fraziers. For me kinda extended ATG somewhere around Braddock, Quarry, Bonavena, Morrison etc. But right behind guys like Walcott, Witherspoon, Weaver...

 

I like Cooney, but I wouldn'y classify him as an ATG, maybe an ATG puncher. I don't think his full potential was ever realized for many reasons. But I'm glad to see him doing well today.

 

Beats Quarry and Bonavena. Loses to Terrible Tim. I'll leave the rest to other posters.

 

If you like a fighter who climbed the heavyweight ladder by abusing the elderly heavyweights like Ken Norton and Jimmy Young. How come he never fought the upper echelon heavyweight contenders like Tim Witherspoon and Greg Page in the early 1980's? Is money the only thing his management was interested in? No prestige in being champion by working his way up, not impressed at all when other contenders were working their behind's off by fighting proven ranked contenders their own age.

 

He almost killed poor Kenny.

 

Take L

 

More than Marvis Frazier .

 

He didn't do too bad and Jimmy Young went on a decent winning streak in the early 80's. He must have broken Lyle's ribs and as another poster said nearly killed Norton. Plus he beat Eddie Lopez, St Gordon, and Dino Dennis. After the Norton win he started using cocaine. Also the Holmes fight was postponed because of a shoulder injury. Despite this he put up a good fight against Holmes.

 

He had potential. but he was not an all time great fighter. He had his taste of the big time and then lost interest.. The greats keep going and prove more.

 

The ONLY thing that your management should be interested in is money. It is ok for a fighter, even a trainer, to see boxing as a sport but may God help you if your manager does the same.

 

How do you figure, beating up old relics that were way past their primes just to protect his unbeaten record to get a title shot at Larry Holmes. Boxing should not be just about money, prestige should be involved, fighting other proven contenders that are up and coming. Cooney was used by his management, they never cultivated him, they were just interested in the money that he could make for them, he was too clumsy as a fighter.