Gerry Cooney is an all time great

I'm confused. All time great at what? Cuz it can't be boxing.

 

Lyle was shot, as was Norton.

 

Cooney has one of the shortest careers of any HW contender in any era having fought only 113 rounds. And he might have THE shortest career of any 2 time title contender.

Cooneys considered an elite HW of his generation H2H but resume wise the cubbard is bare. Him being great is more theoretical he was big, had massive power and gave Holmes problems. His biggest wins are old fighters from the previous generation who he likely would have lost to a few years earlier. He proved that he was an elite HW in his era(the least respected era of the 20th century) but not much else.

 

ATG? Did he have some other pursuit that I did not know about?

 

Gerry Cooney is an all time great, if Ken Norton is an all time great.
I think the issue is closely related and even crucial to Jerry being an ATG.
Norton is on the verge of being an ATG or not
Norton lost his last fight to Cooney, and that would be all the more reason for Gerry Cooney to be an all time great.

 

Cooney is not an all time great! Maybe and all time great at getting the hype. He had a glass chin. And no he didn’t really give Holmes any trouble. Be real! I could see Cooney loosing to a lot of fighters in his era. Weaver, Dokes, Tate- yes Tate pre KO and no I don’t think Cooney knocks Tate out.

 

Cooney obviously is not an ATG but he was a dangerous fighter had he had better managers he would have progressed more and was

capable of beating other heavyweight champions except Holmes.

Norton and Lyle were shot but he destroyed them in impressive fashion.

Young had seen better days but was not shot and Cooney looked good. Jimmy was only stopped early in his career by Shavers (avenged by a draw which most had Young winning) and Cooney.

Young fought 3 future champions (admittedly only Tucker could punch) after Cooney and took on big punchers in Jeff Sims and Tony

Fulilangi, winning and drawing.

Cooney gave a peak Holmes a good fight. Had he fought better competition, gone at least 10 rounds once and had his chin tested he might have won one of the titles around especially against Weaver.

Personally I think the Cooney that lost to Holmes had a solid chance against Weaver (he was so vulnerable early on) but I think "Black

Hercules" would have done the same to him as he did to Gerrie Coetzee. What a fight it would have been though.

 

Get off the internet, Larry.

 

Early Cooney looked like a force. Unfortunately he was such a money making rare commodity that he was treated like a golden calf. Still in his build up he performed great in his showcase fights. This wasn’t Tommy Morrison or Deontay Wilder losing to the Bentt’s or struggling with Duhaupas of the world. Cooney came in and destroyed. Then in the biggest fight of his life, he didn’t win but he performed admirably giving a fun and fierce bout with ATG great peak Holmes. Cooney retired and has his health. Good career

 

Cooney is a nice man and he was an intertaining boxer for sure. But, ATG?? Never!! He was a fringe contender with a marketable skincolour and personality. His managers performed a miracle, and Cooney was financially set for life. Don't get me wrong, as a person I really like Cooney, he has class and moral.

 

Whoa there, I don't know if Cooney beats Quarry. Jerry had a good record against big punchers. He punched pretty well, himself.

 

I disagree with you this time, Richard. Larry Holmes had enough respect for Cooney's left hook that there was no way he would've carried him. Gerry was too dangerous to toy with.

 

He had balance until he got clocked. That's when he lost it.

 

The Toro Moreno character is a stiff who can't punch. You might argue that Cooney was a stiff, although I would disagree. But you would never say he couldn't punch.

 

"Enjoying" the profession of boxing? The greatest pound-for-pound fighter of all time said he never enjoyed it. What's to enjoy about it? I do know Patterson enjoyed it but most fighters hate the training aspect and what kind of idiot enjoys getting punched in the face?