Trying to work out C00ney's credentials. I think I have his best win nailed : 1. W RTD 4 Jimmy Young Young was no longer a big contender, had already lost to up-and-comers Ocasio twice and Dokes once, and was past his best and into substance abuse, I believe. But he was still serviceable as a trial horse, and actually put together 5 wins after C00ney fought him. Gerry looked good in the fight. Then it gets a bit dodgy ... we have ... 1979 John 'Dino' Dennis - ?? any good ? 1980 Ron Lyle - 39-years-old, had been stopped in 2 rounds by the legend that is Lynn Ball a year before facing C00ney. Had never really bounced back from the 1976 Foreman fight, unless we count a 1977 split decision against Bugner. 1981 Ken Norton - 37 years old, coming off three very uninspiring fights, including a lucky draw against LeDoux and a crushing 1st round defeat to Shavers stretchin back two years earlier. 1984 Phil Brown - could we even call him a "fringe contender" ? 1986 Eddie Gregg - any good ?? lost to James Broad.
Yes that's an accurate list of his best wins. And though I think Gerry is somewhat overrated, he still has better list of wins than most of guys, who challenged for the title, but never won it. If we take Holmes of Wlads title defences and the guys who never were beltholders or champions than most of those contenders have even poorer list of wins than C00ney despite Gerry's very short career after title fight (only 5 fights after Holmes).
I'm not sure about that. It would take a lot of work to go through the list of all those challengers, and get the best 5 wins for each of them.
Surely Berbick, Witherspoon and few others who challenged Holmes and later won the title have better list of wins. On the other hand Holmes and Wlad (as well as any other long-reigning HW champion) have list of challengers who had literally 1-2 decent wins. Holmes would be Rodrigues, Leroy Jones, Zanon, Frank, Evangelista, Bey etc. Wlad - Leapai, Wach, Mormeck, Pianeta etc. Based on that, I'd say C00ney was on the side of strong challengers in Holmes reign, and the weak challengers were the guys I've mentioned above.
One of ****ey's most impressive wins, I doubt anyone has seen. Charlie "Candyman" Johnson was a largely unknown heavyweight who was in the mold of a George Chaplin in that he was a really slick and defensively talented boxer. He was brought into Chicago to fight undefeated Walter Moore and boxed rings around him and won every round before getting cut. Ernie Terrell wanted no part of bringing him back for a rematch. Then Johnson went out to Seattle and whipped then highly regarded Ibar Harrington and put a dent in plans for a big money match between Harrington and Boone Kirkman. Used to have the fight on an old VHS tape, but ****ey destroys him. Johnson tries to crowd him and doesn't even get a decent punch off before ****ey lays him out brutally. Speaking of George Chaplin, that was a better win than either Brown or Gregg, I think.
Gerry was way way over rated. He was well 'put together' for a big pay day. Fair play he gave a decent account v Holmes , but sometimes it's easier to rise to the occasion as a gallant loser. His opponents were well picked before Holmes, some big names whose big days were well gone. He did nothing after the Holmes fight.
C00ney has no "elite" wins to speak of. But Eddie Greg, Phil Brown, George Chaplin, Eddie Lopez, Dino Denis, and aged versions of Ken Norton, Jimmy Young and Ron Lyle were all good enough to be considered fringe at the time he beat them. Furthermore, he destroyed nearly all of them in the type of emphatic fashion that few others could have at the time.. Being ranked #1 at the time he fought Holmes was probably undeserved, but somewhere between #3 to #5 is fair in my opinion. His gallant effort against a prime Holmes solidifies this... He retired from boxing only having been beaten by 3 hall of fame men, two of whom were reigning world champions who were either prime or close to prime. The other was a former champion who would regain the title four years later.. and ALL three fought Gerry when he was returning from long periods of inactivity. His defeats can't really be held against him.. I also think his career is similar to Vitali Klitscko's in that his head to head ability is probably better than his actual resume reflects.
Jerry had a tripple marketing machine. He was the NY city gold gloves winner, Irish, and from New York. He could hit, he was big, and he had fair skills, but his resume of wins was thin. Big time punchers can be over rated on the way up until they prove it vs a top ten level opponent. He gave Holmes a good fight, likely winning 4-5 rounds and hurting Larry with a body shot ( round 4 ). That is what he is best judged on. Outside the ring issues and poor management held him back.
I don't think he does to be honest. I would say that most people who challenged for the title, beat somebody ranked in the top 10 at some point. It might be the case that he was on the cusp of being something truly special, but we can't back him up too strongly based on the facts at our fingertips.
