Was Victor Valle A Good Trainer?

Valle was a very good trainer, he taught Gerry how to shorten up on his left hook to the head and body, Cooney could fight inside pretty good once he got you on the ropes. I think for a lot of the issues Cooney had we could second guess his management and getting him prepared to go 15 rounds (with only 8 rounds top distance in 24 fights and we all know Gerry had some alcohol and substance issues so we can not blame Valle for those things.

 

Add Mike Ayala to that list.

 

I agree that Gerry Cooney's management didn't match him with enough good opposition in order to get him enough seasoning before he fought Larry Holmes. Cooney put on a very credible performance against Holmes considering his lack of seasoning.

- Chuck Johnston

 

Cooney was interviewed many years after he retired ( permanently ) and said that Don King and Bob Arum both owned so many of the top contenders and wouldn't give him any fights. At one point around 1981, Cooney's people campaigned to get WBA champ Mike Weaver to give Gerry, who at that time was the WBA's #1 contender a title shot. Bob Arum pleaded with the WBA to have Weaver defend against #4 James Tillis. The only men whom Cooney could get fights with, were overmatched and proved no challenge. I will say however that his opposition was not as bad as some make it out to be. Norton, Lyle and Young were all past prime fighters, with Norton and Lyle in particular being virtually shot. But I think an honest person would struggle to list more than perhaps 10-12 guys in 1980 who were better than those three, and even fewer who could have done to them what Gerry did. Dino Denis, Eddie Lopez, George Chaplin, Phillip Brown and Eddie Gregg weren't bad opponents either, and all lost with ease.

 

I doubt that's an accurate picture of what happened. It was his own management.

 

I find it hard to believe that promoters would stand in the way of Gerry Cooney getting better opponents before his bout with Larry Holmes. Cooney caused quite a bit of excitement among boxing fans, which means he was becoming a fine gate attraction. Promoters love fine gate attractions. Moreover, I don't recall anybody saying that it was the promoters' fault that Cooney wasn't facing better opposition, but his management was raked over the coals for it at the time.

- Chuck Johnston