if jerry quarry had been champion...

yes cooper was rated high enough to warent a shot but i think by 1967 his career as a truly elite contnder was already over.

incedently Cooper was the first fighter to stop Hubert Hilton. Hubert had previosly only lost one fight by SD and was already rated when cooper TKO'd him in 2 rounds. Hilton went the full distance with a peak jimmy ellis in his next fight and lasted 3 rounds longer against 9-0 mac foster who took just as long to dismiss with cleveland wiliams and mac would later blow thad spencer and old zora folly out in a single round each.

 

Ol 'Enry was in-line for a shot at Jimmy Ellis in 1969, for the WBA Championship.

Negotiations,,,,,,,not good.

 

yes, I think cooper had an injury as well, shame it never came off. Im not saying cooper had enough in him at that time to beat ellis but he would have used beter tactics against ellis than quarry ever did. Quarry blew that fight, one he should and could have won.

 

Quarry's best chance at a HW world title came in '68 vs. Jimmy Ellis for the vacant WBA belt.

Quarry fought Patterson to a draw in '67 (D10), both fighters down in the fight. Quarry also won a very close fight vs. Patterson in '67 (WMD12) which was part of the WBA tournament... Patterson was down in the fight.

Quarry stopped Thad Spencer (KO12) which was also part of the tournament. In the final he lost a very close decision to Ellis (LMD15).

In '69 he beat Mathis W12 then was stopped in 7 by Frazier. He was also stopped in 7 by Chuvalo in '69. In '70 he was stopped in 3 by Ali. Ali stopped him in 7 in '72. And Frazier turned the trick in 5 in '74. Norton stopped him in 5 in '75.

Ellis was his best bet but he came up a little short. Had he gotten the win vs. Ellis he would have eventually lost to Frazier. He may have been able to have successful defenses against Ellis (rematch) or Patterson (a third fight).

 

I think all will agree,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Jerry's best shot was versus Jimmy Ellis in 1968.

And he blew it,,,,big time.

Had Floyd Patterson defeated Jimmy Ellis in December 1968,,,,,,,,,,Floyd would have to give Jerry a 'third bout' in 1969.

 

He would have stood a good chance in a rematch with Ellis. Jerry would n't have kept the title for long though. Not with the likes of Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier around,and George Foreman on the horizon.

 

I've never bought the theory that Quarry could have beaten Foreman. His counter punching skills may have made a fight with George competitive for one or two rounds,but as soon as Jerry gets sucked into a brawl,Foreman would take him.

 

But not as good as John L Gardner ?

 

yes sr, you are right absolutely

 

Jerry had the advantage of having previously sparred with George, schooling him in the gym, and reportedly decking him in the process. Foreman was something of a mystery to Frazier in Kingston, but not to JQ, who didn't even realize Shavers had hit him until viewing that footage the following day. Jerry had problems with speedsters and attrition specialists who could outlast him. Overpowering him quickly with brute force was a different matter, as Mac Foster, Lyle and Shavers discovered, and this was George's modus operandi. Jerry would have been very comfortable with a huge target he was much faster and quicker than, and enjoyed a clear stamina and mobility advantage over.

Given that earlier sparring experience (which was also hugely beneficial for Leotis Martin against Liston), the prefight staredown alone might be worth the price of admission. Foreman has no chance of scaring or intimidating Jerry like Ali was able to do. Take away the psychological edge George enjoyed over Norton, Kirkman and numerous others, including the element of surprise over Frazier in Jamaica, and Foreman's in a situation where he has to earn his win the hard way.

Watch Jerry suckering Spencer and Patterson into the corners and towards the ropes, setting and baiting traps. He was much smarter than young Foreman, who would swallow this bait, hook, line, sinker, rod and reel, and choke on it. Styles make fights, and they both knew who had the huge edge there.

Fact: Foreman never took Jerry on.

Fact: George says today he purposely avoided Jerry, the most popular heavyweight of the early 1970s.

Fact: During interviews conducted during the period, Foreman is indeed hesitant and evasive when asked about a match with Jerry, while Liston expresses alacrity for taking JQ on following Sonny's win over Henry Clark. Do you really think a defense against Roman was more lucrative than a defense against Jerry would have been?

The rope a dope was a novel way for Ali to win. Jerry loved living off the ropes.

 

quarry would batter 7 coopers.one after the other or all at once.

 

No, sry m8,
overrating quarry and,
underrating cooper. :-(

 

i don't rate cooper at all.quarry, i do

 

You're not really Cooper's wife,Albina,are you ?