Cooney got overhyped. Most of it wasn't his fault. That's part of being a white heavyweight with alot of potential. Gerry stayed in there for 13 rounds. Holmes felt his power and continued to show him respect. There was nothing disgraceful there. Cooney didn't do anything wrong. It was his reaction to losing that fight that was his downfall. Addiction to drugs and alcohol was his solution. Gerry Cooney is a champion today though. A good dude.
Gerry is the ultimate coulda woulda shoulda. But he showed a lot more losing to Larry than he showed before. It took a fully prepared great fighter, in his prime, to use all his experience to beat Cooney. Larry was so much better prepared. He had better opponents and had fought much more recently. it’s a great pity Cooney never went on from this. He made too much money to ever be a good fighter after that.
He wasn't good enough. That's why it didn't happen for him. I don't understand why you don't agree with the premise that boxers lose fights because they aren't good enough. It's pretty much the same in any fight, and in many aspects of life.
I don't think Cooney would of ever of bested Holmes, but he should of gotten a few tougher fights under his belt first, win or lose he would of been better prepared if he fought some of the chasing pack that time, instead of going straight for the best of that time and in some people's eyes the best of all time.
So, if Cooney had happened to land that perfect left hook to Larry's chin in the first round you would say Larry's just not good enough? He can't handle gerry's power? He's not good enough? Both guys were good enough. They both van't win in the same fight though. They are both capable though.
Exactly my point Bubba!!!! Facts is, Gerry gladly avoided contenders his entire career and took the silver spoon route. You r correct.
Too bad that Earnie Shavers bout didn't happen in August 1980. Or even, though this wouldn't have meant much, the proposed Scott LeDoux fight in April 1980.
Irrelevant... my initial point was that he gave Holmes a tough fight and that he had been inactive prior.. there is nothing false, opinionated or excusatory in that piece....
Rappaport wanted to fight Weaver. Jones wanted to fight Holmes. Valle wanted to fight Weaver but with all the politics going on with the proposed Cooney - Weaver fight (Tillis getting the shot first despite being the #3 ranked WBA contender) he relented and told Jones to make the Holmes fight because Cooney had been sidelined too long already. Cooney did about as good as expected for a guy who was still essentially a novice and hadn’t fought in 13 months prior and fighting outdoors in 100 degree weather. Cooney should have been fighting 3 or 4 times in 1980 and 1981 instead of just 2 and 1 respective fights. This fight took a lot out of Holmes mentally and physically. He took the fight very seriously and stuck to a tight game plan which was tire Cooney out and stop him late. Cooney’s game plan was awful he was never going to outbox Holmes over the distance. Gerry should have used the same plan Tyson used 6 years later which is go right at Holmes and try to stop him early. People forget this fight was supposed to be in March not June of 1982. Many of Cooney’s problems were self inflicted but his management was also culpable he was moved horribly yet Rappaport and Jones thought they were geniuses. The people around him were a total clown show and those are the results he got. Holmes fought a great fight and had a great support team and game plan. Cooney didn’t and he sulked about it for years afterwards. This fight gives us a lot of “what if’s” as there were many moving pieces to what ultimately happened. People **** on Cooney but his career could have been much better provided he had better people around him instead of the clown show he had. Bottom line is Cooney himself was responsible for a lot of what happened to him in his career.
