If Cooney beats Spinks...

Michael Spinks was as slow a starter as any ATG one punch knockout artist has ever been [Palomino and Danny Lopez are other contenders for that distinction]. Combine that with Gerry's propensity for roaring out the gate with first round knockouts in high profile bouts, and I figured Cooney would crush him. Later, he did finish round one by unloading a hook on Foreman I'm not sure Michael could have stood up to.

Yes, Tyson-Cooney would have been much bigger than Tyson-Spinks. For one, DKP would have successfully played up the racial angle again. The outcome of Tyson-Spinks should have surprised nobody [and did not surprise anybody I knew]. Gerry's reputation for power and a fast start would have triggered far greater advance interest into how it might go. Nobody would have expected the match to last any length, but there would have been much curiosity about how well Tyson could take a shot. Power vs Power PLUS Black vs White PLUS HW Size vs HW Size would have been compelling promotional hooks, along with the promise of immediate fireworks at the opening bell.

In actuality, Cooney had neither the speed or the punch resistance to withstand the more durable and elusive Tyson for any length of time. Gerry's hook to the body from his upright posture would not have been of much help here. The big question is whether or not Tyson's chin would get tested by Cooney's hook. It took Gerry nearly three minutes to land solidly on old Foreman. Mike wouldn't give him that kind of time or size of target.

Holmes backed off after his second round knockdown of Gerry. Tyson, like Foreman, would have polished him off the instant the referee waved them together to resume action. It was very widely known [to everybody, actually] that Larry commented Cooney could take it on the chin all day, but if you hit him on the temple, "He wobbles like a duck." [Stormn' Norm Goins said the same thing about Howard Davis, Jr.] Tyson would have been aiming for Cooney's temples immediately, "and the walls, come tumblin,' tumblin'...doooowwwwnn!"