Did gerry Cooney's management make a mistake?

...........I think his management was astute in sizing up not only Gerry's strengths but also his weaknesses (both physical and mental) and probably knew they didn't have a guy who was gonna be in it for the long haul. Cooney proved that after losing to Holmes. He never had the attitude or desire to be a long-term proposition.

Knowing this, why in the world would any sane person say no to the kind of money the Holmes fight promised and gamble on some long-term buildup as you propose? That's assuming a hell of a lot. Lot of pratfalls along the way.

 

Yes Cooney would have made very lucrative paydays if he was WBA champ, IF! Yes Gerry was quite capable of beating Mike Weaver, but it still was a very risky fight with a much lower payday than he ultimately got with Larry Holmes. Weaver could end a fight with one punch, whether he was winning or way behind. Look at what he did with John Tate and Carl Williams, and the rally he put forth to stop Gerrie Coatzee. At least when he lost to Holmes it was to the recognized champion and he got 10 million for his effort. A loss to Weaver would have been much worse for Cooney, and very non lucrative.

 

Cooney's management was brilliant. They got him million dollar paydays for minimal risk. They had a fighter who, although he had devastating power, had minimal skills, and was by most accounts to nice to be a fighter. I'd like to be mismanaged like that.

 

Do you guys actually think no other management team could've done a good job with the guy? Just exactly what other top notch job did Jones and Rappaport do anyway?

Like lots of folks at the time, I thought Cooney was going to be the first guy to earn $100 milion in the ring. The Tyson mangement team came along and made that much just a few years later. But then you are seeing results of a top shelf management team.

 

The trouble was Cooney lacked that something mentally as an athlete or person. Even after the Holmes fight the guy was set up perfectly!!

He was financially secure almost overnight, he'd lost in a reasonable effort for the title without any real hiding or physical drama and was supremely well set up to round out his game from lessons learnt in the Holmes bout. Future well chosen opponents and a busy schedule would have aided his development and turned him into a genuine title threat. There was also the WBA title to go after, which would only make a Holmes rematch even more lucrative.

But no he let it all get to him and never really performed much chop ever again. When he performed at all that is. Huge disappointment. The Holmes loss was VERY light comparative to what boxers come back from again and sometimes again.

 

They did make a big mistake, but the money was right for them, and they took it.And Gerry was never the same again.