Did Gerry Cooney really deserve his rating ?

Ring Magazine has him as number 2 contender (behind WBA champion Weaver) to Larry Holmes' title at the end of 1980, and through 1981.

I think both the WBA and WBC had him in the top 2.

Did he earn the rating ?

 

Who promoted Cooney, cant remember?

 

Dennis something-or-other and another guy who is now deceased. They were often referred to back then as the "Wacko Twins" or something along those lines.

 

Rappaport and Jones.

 

Pmsl @ wacko twins, thats gold.

 

Young, Lyle & Norton is a nice run. Plenty of #2 contenders have done less.

 

There's always going to be some controversy over that, but in a minor way, probably so.Though by the end of 1981, you could make a minor case for Greg Page, or even better, Michael Dokes for being #1.

 

Agree a case can me made for most fighters. Once you break into the top ten, its what you do in the top ten to sustain your position that counts. The promoters ultimately use their influence and the fighters marketability to jockey into the mandatory or title shot spot.

 

I think that the decision to make him the no2 contender was premature.

There were safer and more rigourous choices.

 

Sam Glass was his promoter.

 

Yes, Cooney deserved his rating because Norton and Young were still ranked within the top ten (if only barely) when Cooney beat them.

It's important to remember also that in 1980-81 Cooney's competition hadn't done anything to deserve higher ratings. Page and Dokes were still emerging as world class heavyweights. Coetzee had proven himself, but he had already lost a couple of times. Berbick's only serious win was over Tate, who was falling from the ratings quickly. Snipes and Tillis had not yet established themselves either. Leon Spinks and Bernardo Mercardo had already been exposed as vulnerable fighters.

So it wasn't unreasonable to rank Cooney right behind Holmes and Weaver, for a little while at least.

 

Cooney was independent of the major promoters. He was managed by Dennis Rappaport and Mike Jones, who realized they had an immensely marketable fighter and that they didn't need to play ball with King or Arum.

In the end, King negotiated with Rappaport and Jones on terms favorable to Cooney.

 

Well put.

 

The brutale destruction of Norton did wonders for Cooney's standing.

 

By who?