Buster Douglas Vs. Gerry Cooney

This is a close one to call, in my opinion. I think the best Douglas would win a decision over the best Cooney, but it wouldn't be an easy win.

 

Douglas was Jeckel & Hyde. If the one who beat Tyson came out Douglas should win a decision over Cooney. If the Douglas, who fought Holyfield came out. Cooney would blast him in about the third or fourth round.

 

Precisely why I picked Cooney on 98% of all occasions, leaving a small percentage for Buster's shining moment. However, as Janitor once said, coco the clown might well have beaten Tyson on the night that Douglas did.

It would be one thing if you were comparing two fighters who actually had primes to speak of, but you're not, and they didn't. What you are doing is taking a single, sole performance against a half ass motivated champion and claiming that the outcome was a clear measure of what he'd do to another fighter, who by the way had nothing in common with fighter A's best opponent.

I'll give you the source. You likely heard it from Duodenum who regularly posts here and commonly mentions his " theory " about Holmes carrying Cooney in an effort to catipult both of them into a lucrative rematch. I don't buy it. After Holmes was hit below the belt early in the fight, Cooney had his full attention, and the dismembered face to prove it.

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The crafty and savy selling tactics of Denis Rappaport are no secret. He strategically steared his man into a multi million dollar seat without forcing him to take any real risks. I will say however, that from about the time that Cooney beat John Denis in 1979 to the Norton fight of '81, he would have had my vote to beat Douglas. In 1980, Cooney managed to cut and stop an aging but still very competitive Jimmy Young who was a better boxer than Douglas ever was. Cooney was a fast starter whereas James typically wasn't.. Neither man was much for taking a shot or showing heart but at least Cooney had the power to dish it out. I'm also not so sure that I like Douglas's track record against left hookers. Jesse Ferguson and David Bey both kicked his ass with the left hook as a big part of their arsenal. Cooney's left is rated by the RING as one of the most dangerous punches in history. James also didn't do too well against fighters who either matched or exceded him in height. Cooney would have had the height and reach advantage in this one.

 

Gerry cooney knocks buster out.........

 

Buster Douglas was a big guy with a ton of boxing skills. His problem was he didnt have much heart. If an opponent put up any type of resistance, he just gave up, even if he was winning, just giving up on the ropes until the ref stopped the fight. I never understood it. He put it all together against Tyson, and although he thought about staying down during that flash knockdown, he got his a** up and finished the fight. WHo knows if Cooney could take a serious beating, he may have been able to break Busters spirit and taken him out in the later rounds.

 

Buster on his A - Game was a far superior Boxer / Puncher to Cooney..

Mobile and cute , Buster would have done a steam roller job on Gerry...

 

Cooney would have his moments definently, but I'd pick Buster to KO him late.

 

Cooney was an incomplete fighter. He was a one armed fighter with no stamina.

I would take Buster if the fight goes past 4 rounds.

 

It's a tough call, but Gerry, if he caught Buster, is going to knock him out.I think the Tyson thing was a 1 in a 1000 type scenario, and he wouldn't do it against Cooney.Gerry stops Douglass in about three rounds.

 

I would go with Douglas here.

Neither guys is consistent, but Douglas is clearly more provenn and better at his absolute best.

 

I am responding to someone responding to me in 2009. But I never saw this.. What did I fabricate? Douglas never beat anyone great except a Tyson who was out of shape and took boxing for granted. Frank Bruno rocked Tyson in his fight with Mike the year before. Cooney was underrated and had he fought Weaver for a title instead of Holmes he would have probably won by knockout. Cooney was better than Douglas over all but Douglas has the win over a legend. Barkley has the win over a legend in Hearns but he is not rated very high either. A good style matchup is great for the fighter, but he has to win over many different styles to prove he really is at that level. Douglas will never be the level of Tyson, a guy he knocked out. And Barkley will never be the level of Hearns.

 

I remember Buster losing to Tony Tucker and quitting in August of 1987. If he was not on his A game for a title fight, I am not sure it was the A game which beat Tyson. He was bigger than Tyson and Tyson was not focused and Douglas had a good right hand. But Douglas never showed much else except beating Mike, and then Buster loses in 3 rounds to the right counterpunch of Evander.

 

I think, while they are a similar calibre of fighter, that Douglas has the styles advantage.

Cooney never showed a good answer to high level lateral moves and a stellar jab, the two things that defined Douglas' style.


Douglas by late kayo or wide decision. It'd be competitive, but only, Cooney would be eating shots at range and not chasing Buster down near enough.

Watching early Cooney, he's underrated as a counter puncher. He was far from a come forward destroyer-Twice today I've watched him end a fight on a counter left to the body.

 

I agree with your assessment.