Frank Bruno vs. Gerry Cooney

I think Bruno--Cooney is a real good matchup. Both guys have warts and whenever those types get matched up, it's easier being a monday morning quarteback than the quarteback before the big game.

Bruno fought so much better in front of his home crowd. A notorious hometown fighter and he didn't look so good when he had to take his act on the road. Does anyone think the bobsie twins would actually sign a contract and have Cooney be a road warrior? Like take him to the UK and fight Bruno in 85? Or to South Africa and fight Coetzee in 84? Those odds would be up there with lottery tickets. That said, I'd take Bruno at home and Cooney in America.

 

It was such a terrific fight to gamble on. The general public and casual boxing fans really bought into Cooney and his chances. What a sales job and fortunately, they backed their opinions up with $$$.

I loved the fight and I'm sure you can remember this moment in the fight as well; That 2nd round and Larry lands one of his right hands but hardly an A#1 shot. And there goes Cooney on the deck. From not that much of an attack. It was as if all the folks in the arena that had their money on Cooney knew right then and there the fight was all over. Resignation, and you could feel it and taste it.

That same feeling happened in that first Tyson--Holyfield fight when Mike went down from a body shot. Those supporters finally realized their guy was just not going to win.

 

I noticed in many of your posts you are obsessed with size and muscles...There is many components that make a good fighter. How many other big men did Tyson walk through or went into the ring with fear. They changed James Smith name from Bonecrusher to Boneclutcher Smith after the Tyson fight, the 6"5 Smith was afraid...Shannon Briggs is a musclular Giant but was outworked by Ibragimov....PrimoCarnera,Valuev,Jumbo Cummings,Mike Williams,Dunkin Dokiwari are all examples of Musclar giants who lost to better less mucled or smaller men

 

Wasn't Cooney ahead on the official cards of 10 rounds or even during the stoppage? atsch

It's been a while since i watched it, but other than the end of the 5th, i don't remember Cooney being effective at all. I think Holmes took most of the rounds to the bank rather safely.

 

Bruno always had his demons and they showed in public from the moment he laid out his teacher and was expelled to the alleged assaults on his wife etc.

I am suggesting even in his prime, Bruno could not cope with big pressure. And fighting a primed Cooney would be a huge mental burden on the Bomber, and I think like always, he would crack and be comfortable in playing the lovable loser.

Cooney had his problems, but he has shown the strength to get over them in recent years, unlike Bruno. So this suggests that in his prime there could of been a slight edge in the mental make up of Cooney over Frank, hence the reference.

Crudely; I am saying Bruno was the bigger fruit cake, and that would be the difference!

 

I watched the fight again the other day and I gave Cooney 4 rounds out of the 12 completed rounds with 2 that were close but I gave them to Holmes and Holmes won the other 6 clearly. Cooney was more aggressive than Holmes. Cooney's last stand was in the 10th round he threw a lot of punches and hit Holmes with some good punches but he was clearly out of gas after that point. Rounds 11-13 were Gerry basically just taking head shot after head shot and only throwing back weak punches in response.

Awful gameplan by Cooney to try and go the distance against Holmes he should have came out and tried to blast him out of there in 4 or 5 rounds. Either way Cooney was not going to win that fight Holmes was just too disciplined and professional for Cooney.

 

Bum,

Size and muscle is a big asset at heavyweight when you can actually box / fight......... Smith had strength and power to knock a mother****er through a brick wall, but his skills and speed sucked ass....... Therefore against a good fighter with skill, Smith's bulk normally didn't pan out.......

Smith looked like a clueless dickhead against Bruno for 9 rds over in London back in 1983 or '84 until going all out and clobbering Bruno to death in the final round of a 10 rounder....... Persistance can sometimes overcome one's skills......... Cheers.......

MR.BILL:bbb:deal

 

And they changed his name to Bonehugger, not Boneclutcher!:good

 

A classic example of persistance overcoming skill is, Foreman KO10 Moorer in '94......... Moorer was indeed very skilled and technically sound, though not extremely durable at 200 + pounds............ Moorer was doin' a solid job on Foreman until he ate a series of straight left & rights by Foreman.... Cheers...

MR.BILL

 

The cards were a disgrace, but how predictable was that?

Rico gives a decent account of the fight.

 

Ha, we'll agree to disagree. It's pretty safe to say neither were 100% dependable.

Cooney overcoming mental probs two decades later just doesn't come across to me as overly important or proof of victory in a peak fight matchup.

 

I thought Holmes fought a perfect fight against Cooney ,and agree with you he could probably have gotten him out of there earlier ,if he had upped the pace,but he took no chances and wore the big man down.I would go with
Bruno in this one, he had his share of faults ,too stiff and freezing when tagged ,but Cooney is chiefly known for a good effort in a fight he lost, and demolishing past it contenders. Bruno by tko mid rounds.

 

Agreed, and it's time i voted now i convinced myself

Throw ya vote in and lets get some sense into this poll

 

I agree with this. I voted for Bruno as well, but it took some consideration...

 

Bruno wouldn't be intimidated against Gerry, and Cooney would probably be outmuscled by Frank on his way to losing on a fourth round kayo.