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

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by Rico Spadafora, Feb 26, 2009.


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  1. Dubblechin

    Dubblechin Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    I don't know of anyone super "hyped" on Tillis. He was showcased on Arum's Top Rank Boxing program. Even the "house" announcers thought he arguably lost to Mike Koranicki, which was televised by ESPN.

    I believe Tillis was just Arum's top-rated heavyweight contender at that moment (Tate and Coetzee had already fought Weaver and lost), so Tillis was the one Arum forced Weaver to fight.

    It didn't make sense at all, even then. Weaver was the WBA champ, and he didn't even understand what the WBA was doing. He was going to get a lot more fighting Cooney.
     
    Dubblechin, Nov 2, 2025 at 6:51 PM
    Dubblechin, Nov 2, 2025 at 6:51 PM
    #31
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  2. mr. magoo

    mr. magoo VIP Member Full Member

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    For years I always wondered why Tillis was considered a valuable win for literally every up and coming prospect. The only thing resembling a marquee win on his record was a 36 year old shavers. And Tillis was still floored before taking a decision.
     
    mr. magoo, Nov 2, 2025 at 7:36 PM
    mr. magoo, Nov 2, 2025 at 7:36 PM
    #32
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  3. mr. magoo

    mr. magoo VIP Member Full Member

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    I’ve always respected James Tillis for having the guts to take on literally every dangerous fighter in the division and quite often extending them the distance. But other than just hanging tough and being available I could never quite understand why he was constantly revered as being a marquee win for every up and coming prospect right up to as late as 1991 when Morrison beat him. By that point the guy was so beaten down I doubt he was much better than Bigfoot Martin or Bobby Crabtree
     
    mr. magoo, Nov 2, 2025 at 7:40 PM
    mr. magoo, Nov 2, 2025 at 7:40 PM
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  4. Rico Spadafora

    Rico Spadafora Master of Chins Full Member

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    A few things I have learned since starting this thread over a decade ago:

    Arum was able to grease the palms of the WBA at the time to get Tillis inserted instead of Cooney

    Mike Jones and Victor Valle wanted the Holmes fight. Rappaport wanted the Weaver fight. Jones and Valle won - they both believed that Holmes was getting 'old' and slowing down at 32 because of the knockdown and poor performance he had against Mr Snipes. They really thought Cooney would be able to overwhelm Holmes and knock him out early.

    Jones and Rappaport offered Tillis $300k step aside money (a huge sum at the time) so Cooney could fight Weaver which Tillis wanted to take but Arum convinced him otherwise. Tillis said that was biggest mistake of his career not stepping aside and taking the free money.

    Weaver was injured after beating Tillis and was on sideline most of 1982 so a Cooney fight wouldn't happen until December 1982 at earliest. Cooney by then had lost to Holmes in June of 1982 and wasn't interested in fighting again until 1984.

    These circumstances kind of go against the idea that Cooney was 'handed' everything because he was clearly screwed by the WBA out of a mandatory title shot via chicanery by not only the WBA but Arum as well. I still believe that had the Cooney-Weaver fight happened in October of 1981 as planned Cooney would have won that fight. I do not think Cooney getting experience against Weaver would have mattered any against Holmes in 1982 as Holmes wasn't as far gone as Cooney's team thought he was. I do not think Cooney was ever winning that fight for many reasons including reasons other than the gulf in experience and class as fighters.
     
    Rico Spadafora, Nov 3, 2025 at 7:11 AM
    Rico Spadafora, Nov 3, 2025 at 7:11 AM
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