Gerry Cooney vs Rocky Marciano in their primes

Louis as a viable prime heavyweight could be anywhere from 198-208lbs.

While he was undoubtedly well past his prime when he fought rocky, he was not in any way out of shape, and frankly he was probably still beating better fighters than Cooney ever beat.

When you are matching Marciano against somebody who never beat a top 10 ranked opponent, then its is probably fair to bring up people like Johny Shkor in his defense.

In summary, Cooney isn't good enough to make the quality argument, and he isn't quite big enough for his size alone to be a game changing factor.

 

As brave, tough and fit as Rocky was he was a 5 ft 10 inch guy with slow hands and the shortest reach of all heavyweight champions. Its hard to envision a guy like that managing to beat a 6 ft 6 inches tall, 225 pound fighter with a jab and left hook like Cooney. Cooney showed a lot of guts in the Holmes fight so it's not like he would lay down to the much smaller Marciano.

The romantics may disagree but in my opinion Cooney would stop Rocky.

 

Cooney was rubbish.
Marciano would kill him.

 

Holmes had that big bum doing a chicken dance with one stiff right hand in round two.
Holmes should have finished him early really.
I can't see Marciano allowing the big bum to go past 3 rounds.

 

Yes!

 

Depends on how Rocky takes Gerry's shots. If he can, he wins by ko in 6. If not, Gerry takes him in 3 to 5 rds, tko.

 

Difficult fight to call on one hand Cooney would be the biggest man and easily hardest puncher Rocky ever faced and Marciano went down by lesser punchers. However Moore and Walcott had far more skill even if raw power wasn't comparable. Cooney also had serious reach advantage 13" although was managed carefully and failed when truly tested. Gerry could take Rocky out early as he started quickly and was very aggressive when he hurt you as well as having more then enough power to hurt Rocky.

But when picking a winner you gotta go with the more proven boxer and that's Rocky he might get hurt early but his heart, conditioning and will to win are amongst the best in the division he'd stop Cooney after taking a few bumps likely mid fight 6th or 7th round.

 

I don't see evidence that Cooney was easily a harder puncher than Walcott or even Moore.
They knocked out and knocked down better fighters than Cooney ever did.

 

Cooney = 6'5 230 pound heavyweight who fought and beat heavyweights. Marciano = 5'10 180 cruiserweight who fought old cruiserweights. Cooney by 1st round KO.

 

Lol Cooney knocked out heavyweights. Moore and Walcott for the most part knocked out small guys. You sad guys and your love for Marciano cracks me up. It is like saying since Julian Jackson fought and stopped fighters who were better at 160 pounds than Deontay Wilder has fought at heavyweight . Therefore Jackson is a harder puncher and could beat Wilder. 2 different weight classes. Cooney punched harder than Walcott and more because he is much bigger . If you can't figure that out then stop watching boxing

 

So Nicolay Valuev punched harder than Deontay Wilder, Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis ?

 

If he did, then david haye has the greatest chin of all time and tony bellew hits harder with one hand than tyson did with 3 minutes on the heavy bag.

 

It always leaves a sour taste in my mouth when "civilians," refer to professional fighters as "big bums ".
Particularly when they are talking about a guy who "fought his butt off ,"before being beaten down by the heavyweight champion of the world.
It would be interesting ,and I confess , enjoyable for me to see some of these critics in the ring, gloved up and going a few rounds with one of these "big bums".
****ing Wankers!

 

Cooney may not have been the greatest fighter but his power was the real deal. Norton put him just below Foreman and Shavers as well as George himself saying he was the second hardest hitter he faced above Liston and Frazier. Even Holmes spoke very highly of his power. The fact Walcott and Moore knocked out better fighters is because they were much more skilled then Gerry not more powerful. Cooney is never stopping Charles the same way Jersey Joe did by disguising a left uppercut because he isn't as skilled not because he doesn't have enough power.

Its come full circle now Cooney appears to be underrated somehow.

 

****in A+.