Gerry Cooney was rated number one by the only two sanctioning bodies in the sport (the WBC and WBA) and he was rated #1 for several years by RING magazine (your precious RING ratings). Ring ratings don't get you title shots. But every sanctioning body and mag had Cooney the number one contender.
Weaver offered Page a title shot, too, which Page declined. Was Page big, WHITE and powerful, too? Weaver offered Dokes a title shot after that. Was Dokes big, WHITE and powerful, too? How is this racist garbage allowed on here?
Gerry Cooney was the rated the #1 contender by everyone because he KNOCKED OUT JIMMY YOUNG, RON LYLE and KEN NORTON. Who had beaten better opponents to that point? Who had Tillis beaten who was better by 1981? Who had Page beaten who was better by 1981? Who had Dokes beaten who was better by 1981? Swap out ANY of those guys (Tillis, Page and Dokes) give them Cooney's wins (the same way Cooney beat them) and give Cooney their wins. If Dokes, Page or Tillis had knocked out Jimmy Young in four, Ron Lyle in one and Ken Norton in ONE ... they'd have all been rated #1. But they all struggled. Page barely edged Chaplin twice. Dokes had drawn with Ocasio and barely edged Cobb (who Norton had previously beaten). Tillis beat NO ONE of note. Clearly YOU BOUGHT the racist angle, because you're still spewing it 36 years later.
There's your oh so precious ratings again. This time they suit so they are GOLD. What a joke. 5 fights earlier Gregg was stopped by James Broad who had lost to Marvis Frazier (8-0-0) the year before. His only win between then and Cooney even remotely noticeable (an overstatement) was over Tex Cobb who had lost his previous 2 fights and got ko'd right after the Gregg decision loss. Gotta love those ratings!!!! Gregg was no-where to be seen in the Ring ratings, obviously seeing as they are respectable. The sad thing is Gregg might even be Gerry's best win. Of course Spinks jumped at the opportunity of $4mil against a guy that was largely inactive and unproven. There's that big money associated with Cooney again which of course is why he was in such demand.
LOL!!! He may have nabbed a shot at Holmes if he defeated Berbick so that's considered an offer. You've excelled even yourself. Classic stuff.
You're slamming Eddie Gregg for losing to James Broad a couple years earlier? Broad knocked out Frazier in about 30 seconds in the Olympic Trials and would've been the U.S. Olympic representative at heavyweight if we'd gone in 1980. The only guy who had beaten Broad to that point was Frazier (in their grudge match which was a very good win for Frazier). And Gregg rebounded by scoring four wins including flooring and decisioning Tex Cobb. Did you even follow boxing back then? Eddie Gregg was a two-time NY Golden Gloves champ (beating Renaldo Snipes) and was a hot prospect, as was James Broad. Gregg and Broad were more highly regarded than David Bey, who knocked off Page. But you seem to be avoiding Page's loss to Bey like the plague. Greg Page should've knocked out David Bey like Gerry Cooney knocked out Eddie Gregg. Cooney was always a bigger draw than Page because Cooney destroyed guys or he was destroyed. Page just got fat and laid on the ropes and hoped King had enough influence over the judges. That's about as BLACK AND WHITE as it was.
Well, ST Gordon and Renaldo Snipes could beat Berbick, why couldn't Page? Berbick wasn't exactly a tough out that year.
King wanted the title back in America. Page losing to Bey has nothing to do with anything. LOL at a top contender!!!! Me biased? You calling the likes of Gregg a top contender and deviously trying to pass of Lyle as a contender after he was flogged by Ball show exactly where the bias lays. Well if Bey goes to S.A. he gets the shot - simple. King pulled big strings whether you seem to realize it or not. Most do. The only one screaming or even mentioning the actual word RACISM is YOU aka the drama queen. Such a drama queen.
Is RING magazine credible? They rated Cooney the number one contender after that win. Do you not follow Ring ratings? How about the WBA and WBC, who ALSO both rating Cooney #1 following that win over Lyle. Ron Lyle was rated in the top five by both the WBA and WBC ... as well as RING ... when Lynn Ball upset him. KO upsets happen at heavyweight. Lyle had come back with two KO wins after that. Do you immediately dismiss ALL ranked heavyweights when they lose by an early upset KO and then return with a couple KO wins themselves? Or just the guys Cooney beat?
There's that racist word again. Cooney knocked out Jimmy Young??? He didn't come close to it, the fight was stopped on cuts. Maybe you should watch it sometime
