it seems to be a mismatch but in 1987, Spinks actually stopped his much larger and more powerful opponent but would Mike fare as well against UNDEFEATED Gerry Cooney, #1 contender, Gerry Cooney? I think Mike does better that old Ken Norton. Mike was smarter, more talented than Kenny, shiftier than Kenny But how long will ring smarts save him from Gerry's smoking fists?
Michael did a number on Gerry in 1987. But for a few of the early rounds they were actually trading on even terms before Gerry started falling apart in the fourth. This was after Cooney had only seen one round of ring action in close to three years and only three fights within five. He was at a career high 238 lbs which didn’t look particularly good on him. And I’m not sure his confidence ever recovered from the Holmes fight. While it’s hard to forget that he got beaten rather handily by Spinks in 87’ I think the 1980-82 rendition of Cooney was a different man. I’d give him a chance to force a stoppage.
I still see Spinks stopping Cooney. Spinks in 1985 was way more active, in much better shape, and his legs were still good unlike in 1987 when Spinks was clearly on borrowed time. Conney being the puncher he was would always have a chance of landing a big knockout punch, but for the most part Cooney would still be a giant and easy target to land on, so it would only be a matter of time before Spinks cuts him down with his fast and accurate combinations.
This is the problem I have with Cooney is that he didnt know how to protect his head and if Mike lands a good one, he could make a pinata out of it I first noticed this in Gerry's fight with the much smaller ST Gordon
This. The Cooney who actually fought Spinks was in no condition to be in the ring at all. Cooney finds Michael weird and a bit frustrating at first, but eventually lands flush. It's the beginning of the end. Spinks is knocked cold in 4 at the very outside.
At no point were Cooney and Spinks trading on even terms in '87. Cooney looked initially assertive with the jab, but you could count on one hand the number of times he set anything up with that punch - and even when he did, he looked poor. Worse still, was his jab being consistently countered by Spinks' overhand right - Cooney never did anything to adjust. In fact, Cooney was comparatively passive, to the point of looking as though he had capitulated, during the course of the first-round. He seemed to switch off whenever the distance between them closed and he subsequently missed several opportunities to attack Spinks to the body - if not with the left, with his right hand. What Cooney did throw, in terms of power shots, looked lazy, inaccurate and, by the end of round-one, more or less desperate. His shots had nothing on them. He never improved from there. It was an awful performance. Pre-Holmes Cooney absolutely wrecks Spinks.
I completely agree with this, the Cooney who fought Spinks was awful, the Cooney that fought Holmes would get Spinks outta there
Michael Spinks by stoppage in round 9. Gerry Cooney would be fighting a younger sharper opponent unlike the ancient used up relics like Ken Norton and Jimmy Young that he was accustomed to padding his record on. The Spinks Jinx would be landing often until the end, Michael had better balance than Gerry who often looks like he is off balance when throwing a punch.
