Ray Mercer vs Tommy Gibbons

This Cooper, a year later, was seconds away from being the Heavyweight Champ.

 

That's a bit of a stretch. Technically anyone is only seconds away from being the heavyweight champ.

 

Think in the ring? I recall Arsenio Hall being upset (in a funny way) about people making fun of
Leon Spinks. Arsenio said "he's a boxer, not an entomologist! Not sure if he really knew what an
entomologist was, but think we all got his point.

BTW....Gibbons loses in a Morrison type beat down. You're all disparaging Mercer's abilities
but the man could take a punch and in the HW division that trumps most (not all) abilities.
Gibbons couldn't KO Mercer and couldn't stand up to his bigger punches IMO.

 

I was 4 seconds off the 100 yard dash when I was young.

 

If you were impressed by Mercer you are very easily impressed.

 

Ray Arcel who was decidedly hard to impress stated Gibbons was a "great fighter" and a "excellent performer". He added that Gibbons was "one of the best Light heavyweights and heavyweights we had".

Never heard him say much of anything concerning the plodding and easy to confuse Mercer.

 

Even when it came to the fighters who were big during his youth and young adult years? Have you ever heard him speak critically of any of the well-known fighters from that era? Just curious.

 

Very few people drop a current heavyweight champion and have him basically out on his feet, like Cooper had Holyfield though (as a short-notice replacement, no less).

 

Arcel never spoke badly of anyone, period. If he was impressed by a fighters ability he was give his expert opinion. If not he generally kept his mouth shut.

 

Hmmm...interesting how you and Seamus give Bert Cooper this kind of praise but when Firpo has Dempsey out on his feet or even out of the ring he is just another "primitive unskilled brawler with a dad bod".

Seems you got a case of "The 90s Euphoria"

 

What kind of praise did I give Cooper? It's more interesting that you were so dismissive of him (did you not know about the Holyfield fight?) but give so much praise to Firpo.
Both Cooper and Firpo were on the crude side -- especially Firpo -- though from what I can tell, Cooper was far more explosive. Firpo was the naturally larger man and perhaps a bit more durable, though it's hard to say.

 

Firpo knocked one of the greatest heavyweights of all time out of the ring. You don't consider that impressive?

 

Of course it's impressive. Has anyone ever suggested otherwise?

 

You're asking me why I give Firpo praise as if I shouldn't be because I dismiss Cooper.

 

You don't think that what Cooper did to Holyfield (and Moorer and others) is praiseworthy? Seems like a lot of guys here only give praise to non-champion heavyweights if they fought in the radio & black and white tv eras.