Cooney's career with a better manager and trainer?

I think he would have still played second fiddle to Holmes, his career and personal life may have turned out better however once Tyson got hold of him (assuming a better version of Cooney beats Spinks) it would have been game over.

 

He still would have those personal issues that interfered with his boxing career in his prime imo. Your prime is a fleeting thing.

 

If Cooney had gone to the kronk in Detroit and had trained under Steward he still would have lost to Holmes but could have come back in 1983 or 1984 and won a World title, he could have beaten the weaker champs like Page or Dokes, but his problem was he was just to inactive..:verysad

 

I think if Cooney went for the WBA title he could've potentially captured it against Mike Weaver. But I don't know how much potential Cooney had from there I don't think he'd have much of a chance against Holmes at anytime during the 80's. I feel Cooney was fairly limited and even if he did capture the WBA title he likely would've been upset not to long after gaining it by someone like Dokes, Witherspoon, Coetzee, Page or Tubbs. Still capturing a title would've meant a lot to Gerry so perhaps having better management would've done a lot for him though there is no guarantee he would've captured a title no matter who was his manager.

 

Are the wacko twins still around or active in boxing?

 

don't know how good or bad Valle was, but if he wasn't any good, imagine the possibilities with Cooney and Emanuel Steward. Cooney is tall, the kind of build Steward does very well with. Kind of like a larger Hearns. If he was taught how to use his size, and taught more boxing abilities, he could have been so much more successful. All he really needed was a little defence, a little head movement and the ability to block, parry punches.

 

If cooney had , had better management he definitely goes for the WBA title and perhaps as a white american champion the WBA realise how much money they could of made and keep some of the more dangerous contenders away from the number 1 contender spot letting gerry rack up defences and perhaps then putting page, tubbs and Thomas on Holmes resume

 

I am also a big fan of Holmes and also a believer that cooney had tons of potential and hugely under achieved but even if cooney could of had Freddie brown and ray arcel with him I don't think he could of beaten Holmes . For me the sort of build up this fight would of had would most certainly of seen a Holmes focused motivated and as mean as hell .

 

Had Gerry Cooney been brought along differently, he certainly could have had a better career. He started out great - racking up a string of early knockouts which included some big names (even though well past it) in Ron Lyle and Ken Norton. His early career paralleled that of the young George Foreman. And like young George, when he met up with an ATG who took him into deep water, he fell short. Even at that, Cooney did not disgrace himself against Holmes. He got up from that second round knockdown (his first KD, I believe) and on two of the judges' scorecards the fight was fairly even at the time of the stoppage in the thirteenth. Even though he lost, he showed that he had plenty of heart and won over a lot of fans. His actions afterward started turning people against him - the endless apologies for losing, and the emerging self-doubts, and long periods of inactivity. Even so, Holmes picked Cooney to defeat Michael Spinks.

Had Cooney been brought along like Sugar Ray Leonard, he would have been much better prepared to face a prime Larry Holmes. Stay active, take fights with fighters of all kinds of different styles - slick boxers, tough boxers who will last the limit, crafty veterans, etc. Develop the right, work on endurance, work on defense. Maybe he still would have lost to Holmes, but he might learn enough to win a rematch. As it was, he was inactive for a full year between the Norton and Holmes fights.

Gerry Cooney was a great guy both inside and outside the ring. I believe that with better handling he definitely could have been a champion.

 

Cooney ..as hsve said before dont quite get why so highly rated by some.WAS well managed to get a big payday..fought nobody who was any good who was anywhere near their best..this and his heritage got him a huge payday v Holmes.Performed with great credit in that fight but did zero afterward. Deserves credit for work with retired boxers since.

 

Cocaine and Booze!!!

Thats pretty much the thing