Gerry Cooney vs Wilders opponents.

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by Bonecrusher, May 31, 2020.


  1. Bonecrusher

    Bonecrusher Lineal Champion Full Member

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    Let’s fire up the DeLorean and head back to 1977 and grab the 20 year old Gerry Cooney and bring him to 2008 and swap him out with Deontay Wilder. Does Cooney fighting all the same opposition get to that title shot against Stiverne and win it, and if he does how long does he stay a champ??
     
    Last edited: May 31, 2020
  2. The Morlocks

    The Morlocks Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Let me go eat lunch & I will be right with ya.
     
  3. Bonecrusher

    Bonecrusher Lineal Champion Full Member

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    LOL!!!! Can’t wait I know how you love Cooney. :eatingburger:yaay:yaay:yaay:yaay:yaay

    I made this thread based on a debate I saw two others having on the Spinks vs Wilder thread.
     
  4. RulesMakeItInteresting

    RulesMakeItInteresting Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    The problem with Cooney was his carefully picked opposition coming up imo. Admittedly, he looked like the next Foreman up to and including the Norton wipe out (Sports Illustrated even picked him in 2 against Holmes). But Foreman didn't beat too many great fighters before he fought Frazier, either.

    But let's be completely forthright: Cooney lucked out fighting a just-barely-past-his-prime Holmes who made a tactical error in the second round and let him off the hook. Gerry was ripe for the taking, all Holmes would have had to have done is start right in on him with the overhand rights and Cooney would have been helpless. To be fair, Gerry actually did get some nice shots in and lasted way longer than I expected.

    After that...well, what did he do? Not much altogether. The Spinks who got demolished by Mike smacked the crap out of him, and old man Foreman....

    But the question is, how would GC have done against Deontay's competition. Off the top of my head, not as well. To me that's pretty obvious. Cooney's greatest victory might have been against Norton...who had already proven himself to freeze up against big punchers in the past. At the time I wasn't surprised in the least that he went out the way he did. Gerry was a great puncher with his left hand.

    Sure, Deontay's competition besides Fury was rarely (if ever) that of the 70s or 90s caliber. But let's face it, Cooney's coming-up fights were really not particularly notable beyond their established names. Lyle and Young were mostly done.

    Fury would have stomped the hell out of him at any stage in Gerry's career imo.
     
    Last edited: May 31, 2020
  5. InMemoryofJakeLamotta

    InMemoryofJakeLamotta I have defeated the great Seamus Full Member

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    Cooney's left was nearly as hard as Wilders straight right. And their chins are comparable. If Cooney lands that left hook on Wilders foes than he could KO them like Wilder has.
     
  6. Bonecrusher

    Bonecrusher Lineal Champion Full Member

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    I’d take a peak Cooney over Stiverne.
     
  7. The Morlocks

    The Morlocks Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Philly middleweight Jimmy Sykes just died. He was never even a contender. He fought Frank Fletcher, Doug DeWitt, Kulumbay, Briscoe & Cooney! A ****in middleweight! That is how pathetic Cooneys pre Holmes field of opposition was. Look up the records of his opponents preHolmes. His fans are clowns. Delusional.
     
  8. catchwtboxing

    catchwtboxing Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    A pre-coke and booze Cooney beats them all.

    The Cooney that was fighting to support a habit would get beat by almost anyone.
     
  9. roughdiamond

    roughdiamond Ridin' the rails... Full Member

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  10. The Morlocks

    The Morlocks Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Lmfao!!!!!
     
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  11. mr. magoo

    mr. magoo VIP Member Full Member

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    He loses to Fury and potentially Luis Ortiz. Think he beats everyone else. Cooney had underrated fundamentals which I think were better than Wilders. But he lacked Deontay’s conditioning, chin and mental toughness. About the only things they had in common were their height and punching power. Which of the two men hit harder ? I haven’t a clue.
     
  12. mr. magoo

    mr. magoo VIP Member Full Member

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    A lot of what you say is true but Cooney went into his biggest fights following long periods of inactivity. His people tried to get him good fights but a lot of promoters were steering clear of him. Gerry was #1 for Mike Weaver’s WBA title in the fall of 1981 but Bob Arum convinced the WBA to let Weaver fight #4 Tillis instead.
     
  13. RulesMakeItInteresting

    RulesMakeItInteresting Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    And what a snooze-fest THAT was lol! I do still wonder if Cooney could have beat Weaver at that stage. I guess it depends if Mike had gotten all the way up for it. The Cooney that fought Holmes would have had a better than good chance of beating him I think.
     
  14. mr. magoo

    mr. magoo VIP Member Full Member

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    Cooneys chances of beating Weaver would have been very high if there wasn’t a huge lay-off first.
     
  15. The Long Count

    The Long Count Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Cooney was a better fighter than Wilder and would beat him H2h. Now would he go through his opposition undefeated not sure if he gets past Ortiz styles make fights.
    At same time no way does Wilder last 13 with prime Holmes.