Gerry Cooney vs Mike Weaver Why Did The Fight Not Happen?

Why didn't the fight happen?


Answer:

This content is protected

 

"In September 1981 Weaver had decided to fight New York heavyweight Gerry Cooney, the WBA's number-one contenderfor the championship. Under the association's rules a champion must defend against the number-one contender during a specified time period. Arum did not control Cooney. He did control James 'Quick' Tillis, the number-three contender for the title. At a WBA executive meeting Arum argued that Weaver should fight Tillis instead of Cooney. Weaver's lawyer was present at the meeting but was not allowed to speak. The WBA ordered Weaver to fight Tillis or be stripped of his title."

- page 128 & 129 of Stephen Brunt's 'Mean Business'

 

The fight was never going to happen. By the time Weaver - Tillis came off, Cooney's people were already aiming at much larger sites with the Holmes fight, which would make Cooney a purse of $10,000,000. No way would he have ever made that kind of money fighting Weaver. Additionally, Weaver would lose 1 year of his career in between the Tillis and Dokes fights due to an injury of some sort I believe. He was basically out of the picture for most of 1982.

 

Cheers.

A quick note, though, on Brunt's date of Sept of '81. I just chekced some sources from the time, and it was actually late May to late June when all this was going on (the signing, the WBA deadline, etc.). That time period fits into the fights you've made mention of in your original post.

 

At one point in time I would have gone with Weaver's incredible toughness over Cooney's tendency to fade in the heat of adversity, but now I'm not so sure.


Weaver was a very slow starter while Cooney was extremely dangerous in the opening rounds. I don't think Hercules would have 8 or 9 rounds to get his act together before Gerry took him apart. Had they met, Cooney would have been by far the most dangerous puncher Weaver ever met. It was mainly boxers like Holmes, Tate, Tillis, Williams, etc who Weaver troubled the most. Big punchers seemed to have had his number. Top it all off wit the fact that there was a collosal difference in size, and I think the WBA would have seen a new champion.. It bugs me that this fight never came off. While Cooney would not have made as much money against Weaver, it might have given him the confidence and experience that he would have needed against Holmes later.

 

I am not sure why but Cooney could have been champion had he fought Weaver. That is a fight he could have won and probably would have.

 

The thing to remember is that Cooney was so marketable by this time, and a Holmes-Cooney fight in such demand, that he was able to make almost as much mony fighting Holmes without a title as he could with one.

After Cooney beat Norton, there was about a year in which his people played around, mulling over a Weaver fight, but at the same time trying to negotiate a bigger cut of the money for fighting Holmes. If they had gotten the money they wanted - and they eventually did, or close to it at least - they were prepared to send Cooney straight into the Holmes fight and not bother with Weaver. That's why Holmes got pissed at Cooney during that one interview, because he was fed up with Cooney and his people dicking around.

From a career perspective, it probably would've been better if Cooney had been matched with someone like Weaver first, and gotten the experience he needed against a live opponent (win or lose) before going up against Holmes. But Cooney's people were all about money.

As for who would've won between Cooney and Weaver, most people felt Cooney would've had a great shot at banging him out early, given what a slow starter Weaver was and how he was often vulnerable in the early rounds. But if Weaver was able to survive the early rounds, then he may have had a very good shot at wearing Cooney down and coming back to stop him - and I think this is what Cooney's people didn't want to risk.

 

Cooney was a quick starter with a murderous punch, while Weaver started slowly and was very vulnerable early in a fight. Nuff said.

 

It didn't happen for monetary reasons.Maybe in a way, it was best for Cooney it didn't happen, for Weaver had the skills to beat him.

 

Who cares ? both were **** . Cooney probably sucked slightly more but both sucked ass . But if there is any1 I think Cooney might have stood a chance against , it was Weaver , maybe Duane Bobbick 2 , but I M not sure .
Don't forget who beat Holmes @ d ams , stopped Weaver both @ ams & @ d pros . All 1 had 2 do vs Cooney was avoid him 4 10 rounds @ max and he will fall voluntarily . no need 2 punch :yep .
this is how d great Holmes & Spinks beat him .

 

I think you're right ... at that time Cooney would have beat the slow starting Weaver and the Holmes fight would have been even bigger , not to mention Gerry might have been ever better with a huge win under his belt and the confidence that came with it ....

 

This fight was set for Shea Stadium. I cant see Gerry getting by Weaver.