Holmes Vs Cooney Why was Larry introduced first?

I rewatched this fight the other day and wondered why Holmes as undefeated champion was introduced before Cooney an untested contender? Even the commentators seemed surprised by this. Was this something thrashed out at the negotiation table by Cooney's management in exchange for some concession to Holmes team? Or was it some sort of racist thing?

Please enlighten me if you know.

I love Victor Valle telling Cooney "this guy is ****", then boom! Larry floors him in the second round... Holmes was a class act...

 

I watched that fight live via PPV. Holmes fought a great fight neutralizing the Cooney left hook very well. Holmes was no class act however.

 

cooney's superior whiteness may have played a big part

 

Cooney was the draw

 

In what way was he not a class act? Do you think he helped stir up the racial tension as well before the fight? Or do you not think much of him as a champion? Cooney seems like a nice guy when I see him interviewed and certainly did not seem comfortable with the "white hope" tag. I think Holmes attitude was understandable however.

 

I agree. I've never seen any athlete with as big a chip on his shoulder.

 

I'd love to see your top 10 heavyweight list, so I can have a laugh

 

He also said he would have beaten all other hwt champions and only Johnson would give him any trouble.

 

Top 10 lists are for amatures.

 

Politics...... Cooney had America standing behind him, where as Holmes had his family and Don King behind him...... Cooney had a fanatic following in 1982, where as the great Larry Holmes was considered bland and bitter in the media.... Popularity usually gets what it wants... However, Holmes was the superior fighter over Cooney........

MR.BILL

 

I usually get heat for my list of top-10 greats at 200 or so pounds, but my list is as follows:

1. Ali
2. Holmes
3. Johnson
4. Louis
5. Lewis
6. Foreman
7. V.K.
8. Holy
9. Tyson
*. Liston / Frazier / Marciano or Dempsey... Take your pick for # 10....

NOTE:

Even Wlad Klitschko is now in the run for being a top-10 ATG despite the haters....

MR.BILL

 

I don't give a ****. Never have.. Size isn't always better... The only guy I feel I'm overly generous to is, Jack Johnson at # 3... And that's only cuz its hard to review some of his fights due to crudeness of films for Johnson's era in the ring...

My current man V.K. is a hulk and master boxer who knows what and where he is at in the ring at all times... Yes, his style can be ugly, but he has a knack for winning...

:bbb:deal

MR.BILL:hat

 

I was referring to Larry being a class act as a fighter rather than as a person. I don't give a dam about his personality, I just like his left jab...

 

How so?

 

It was a racist issue, they even set up a phone in Cooney's dressing room that president ronald regan would call and congratulate him if he won, Holmes had no such arrangement. Cooney was introduced second always reserved for the champion and im pretty sure they had a 50-50 split of their purse each getting 10 million