Frank Bruno vs. Gerry Cooney

I was disturbed when Bruno crossed himslef about 20 plus times upon entering the ring to meet Tyson again in '96........ Bruno was champ for Christ Sake, and yet, he entered the ring looking like a scared wussy...... I didn't like that......

MR.BILL

 

He had a panic attack before the fight and he had only passed the medical on his eyesight by cheating.

He knew he was only going in there to take a beating.

 

Janitor,

Yeah, but blind or not, Bruno was friggin' chisled like a marble statue at 247 pounds in 1996..... The dude did train with conviction..... Bruno was about 25 pounds heavier than his previous affair with Tyson in 1989, but it was all added muscle..... He was prepared to fight...... However, he had fear of Tyson all the way...... Bruno froze.........

MR.BILL

 

Anybody who has had a panic attack knows that you would be on a hiding to nothing in a boxing match.

Bruno had mental helth problems late in his boxing career which unfortunately overwhelmed him conpletely in the end.

 

I sense Bruno became a "Roider" late in his career at 245 to 248 pounds.... His build looked fake; not natural... But Bruno was always well muscled, even at 222 pounds.....

MR.BILL

 

I give Bruno Credit he walked into the ring with the knowlege he was going to lose..All that window dressing added on roids is only that...Bruno was a decent fighter( too stiff yes) but he showed heart. Fighter that suffer from panic attacks were Golota ( vs Lewis and others) Vlad vs Brewster 1, Bruno had a few and Oliver McCall had a bad one vs Lewis....I think they much rather would have a lobster attached to there Balls then a panick attack in the ring....Bad thing....Tyson had the reverse of a panick attack...Roid Rage vs Evander and his ear

 

But Cooney did make it 13 rounds with an arguably prime Holmes. Sure Cooney was fragile, but he was almost Hagleresque tough compared to Bruno's psyche, as Frank's recent problems verify.

Remember, as a 15 year veteran coming off finally winning his elusive bit of alphabet crap, Bruno disgraced himself in his final fight, as he figured himself fighting a 86 not 96 version of Tyson.

Cooney was in control enough (in the 80s) to not unravel before the fight even began!

That said, Bruno's only hope is his better physical condition, but at this level, Coetzee was the only fighter resembling world class to blow a Bruno fight, with the Bomber near or at his 80s prime.

 

I got someone I use to work with a fight on card in Washington, DC in 1993. I had a chance to speak with Victor Valle, who had been Gerry Cooney's trainer.

Valle said that he lost control of Cooney before the Holmes' fight. That Cooney had begun believing what people were writing about his power, and it was difficult to get him to train properly or listen to instruction. He said that Cooney was confident and determined going into the fight with Holmes, but was not as prepared as he should have been.

Valle also stated that Cooney was pretty much done after the Holmes fight. That for whatever reason, Cooney was just never a committed professional again.

I'll take the Cooney of the Holmes fight, and slightly before, to overpower Bruno for a 8-10 round stoppage. I would take Bruno to win post Holmes.

 

Scared is all wrong here..... Bruno was the ****ing WBC champ in early '96........ He was built and ripped like a Brick Shithouse.......... The dude was huge........... Bruno was TOTALLY unprofessional in displaying fear over a rusty and faded Mike Tyson in '96....... Bruno was a disgrace in his effort.......... Shameful..... I figure he'd lose again to Tyson, but considering Bruno's mammoth size and muscles, I also figured he'd test Mike Tyson in 1996.... Well, Bruno failed to do any testing on Tyson.... Intstead, Bruno made Tyson look like Superman........

In truth, Tyson was buffed and ripped at age 29 in early '96, but he was also faded in reflex and skills............. No, Bruce Seldon was no help in determining that Tyson's skills were faded, but Holyfield proved a lot about Tyson in 1996..........

MR.BILL

 

What people are leaving out was that Bruno was able to survive opening rounds against two of the fastest starting, hardest punching fighters ever in Tyson and Lewis. He would survive Cooney and crush Gerry's weak chin. The only Cooney that had a shot was the mythical near great one that we never saw between Lyle and Holmes ...

 

Cooney went 13 with Holmes because Holmes basically carried him. His gameplan was to take him into deep water then drown him, which he did. It was completely safety first, but also a great way of guaranteeing the win.

Remember, we are talking prime Bruno. Janitor has just outlaid his later past prime drama's. In his prime Bruno got in with a peak Tyson and gave him some curry, never backing away from the task.

Could you imagine Cooney going in with Tyson? I can't even picture them together in the ring.

Cooney lost control of his entire career due to just one single lil loss. And it wasn't even a crushing one really. How fragile is that.

 

You do not think Bruno gave Tyson far too much respect, even in the first fight? Bruno was petrified of him, it was only the shock of the first punch and thought of potential embarrassment that got the Bomber going.

By the second round Bruno was comfortable knowing he was going to lose, but save a bit of face; and by lasting five he did that.

Bruno was never comfortable being favoured against anything resembling world class, he fell to bits, he just could not handle the pressure, there is just no way he could cope with prime Cooney, he would fall apart inside a few rounds.

 

Bruno landed the best shots Tyson had taken up to that point. Had him actually buzzed once or twice.

Look, this Tyson would have had Cooney out of there in seconds. He'd be lucky to ever see round 2. I'm not even sure Cooney's legs would have held up getting up the ring steps.

Bruno, tho vulnerable, is far far more proven than the enigma that was Cooney.

 

Bruno has been sectioned for his demons, Cooney has found away to deal with his problems. This fight is all about coping with pressure, and hindsight shows Cooney has the edge.

 

I can't follow this at all, but nevermind. Well, unless we are putting them in the ring today. Bruno at his best (prime for prime is the thread) was fine.

Cooney was so overhyped it wasn't even funny. S.I. had a picture of Cooney and Stallone on their cover and ignored the champion Holmes. The judges had also swallowed the hype hook, line and sinker. Holmes outpunched Cooney 27-16 in the opening round and lost it on two cards :nut