If this is the golata of the two bowe battles how does he fare against spinks of the cooney ft? Could he have taken the lineal belt from the jinx?
Wow. A fight I'd actually pick Golata to win. There aren't a whole lot of those. I think he hunts down Mike from that opening bell and the Spinks footwork at this stage of the game is nowhere near fleet enough to keep him out of harm's reach--which he loved doing. And I sure do not see Spinks handling those 2 handed body shots for very long before showing the effects and slowing down even more. The other factor with that Spinks footwork is he can get out of harms way but was seldom in a position to punch out of it. That becomes a much bigger factor with the heavies than it ever did with the LH division. And Golata is pretty good at fighting on the inside and I see him getting under or absorbing the Spinks right hand and getting inside and staying there. And mauling him and just 1-2ing away with Spinks doing nothing but covering up, on the ropes. That pressure and work ethic is going to be real fatiguing on Spinks for 3 minutes per round. Tko7 or so in a 1 sided bout on the scorecards. I just can't see Mike winning rounds against this guy because he just won't be allowed to take those breathers he enjoyed all the time. That Golata work ethic and pressure will see to that. Andy shellacs him on the ropes and finally smartens up and comes upstairs with the a left hook to end things. Knowing Golata, probably 2 or 3 rounds later than when the opening was there.
Great post. This to was one of those fights that I had a notion that golata could win. Cooney had been in and out of the ring since the holmes fight. I don't think he had the confidence against spinks, and I recall it was a bit of a shock that he was ko'd so easily. But this is a different man in golata, he put up to great fight s against bowe and I believe he goes one better and stops spinks in 6.
Agree with Zadfrak. Really nothing to add except I believe Cooney was closet alcoholic by the time he fought Spinks.
He was a walking zombie that I can recall in that fight robert. He should have and could have really smashed in to spinks, roughed him up and sliced that hook in. But been on the booze won't have helped him.
The other thing with that Cooney fight was how bad that eye was busted up on Spinks. Anyone else just picks and pecks away for the tko stoppage.....Biggs/Tucker/Douglas/Witherspoon/Williams/etc. Not Gerry---he's just slugging away. A little bit of ringsmarts and things are different. Other heavies had the smarts to exploit that and cash in on the opportunity. Cooney, at that stage of the game, was a guy that didn't. And Fighting Mike Tyson next was a whole different ballgame on a guy that could cash in on opportunities for Spinks.
Yep the Cooney that fought Holmes would have smashed him. Holmes was rite Cooney could have won another belt besides Holmes if he would have gotten ride of those 3 idiots in his corner and that includes Valle. His own trainer took his confidence away. All the fights those 3 idiots turned down had a big impact on his confidence.
Cooney s spoke of that a few times regarding his confidence. And the fact he wasn't prepared for a long distance fight because he koing the guys so early. If cooney had got a new corner, had at least a dozen learning fights, he could have challenged spinks with confidence.
Golota was a bully and froze against big punchers ( a la Ken Norton ) Nothing to fear here.The much larger Golota unleashes his full arsenal on Spink's and admits a terrible beating. Golota ko in middle rounds.
As much as Golota should win this fight,I wouldn't be surprised if Spinks beats him. In their biggest fights Spinks always found a way to win, while Golota always found a way to lose.
Admittedly he did. The talent was there, just the mental side of golata that seemed to let him down. But I see golata finally getting it right in this match. Spinks when all said was just a blown up lght heavy, I see Andrew been confident in his ability in this. I don't see anything coming from spinks to hurt him or spook him, so it turns in to a solid beating from ag.
Jeez, just watched it. Cooney could've crippled spinks with his hooks, really easily. Crippled stronger men than spinks. Like you say, DRINK ruined him.. Spinks looked like a knat stinging a bigger foe. Cooney in all fairness would've cut spinks in half if a few years earlier, and probably shouldn't have been in the ring at this stage. Reminds me of Pavlik abit, the situation
Fights like this have me shouting at the box lol. So frustrating that cooney wasn't able to make it to the fight in a clear , sober mind. He had the chance to pick up the lineal belt and secure at least one more big fight. Cooney should have wrecked him. Wasted potential birm.