Which trainer could have better developed a Gerry Cooney in his prime?

Thing is, Emmanuel Steward was a trainer of amateurs in Detroit. His best prospect, Thomas Hearns, failed to make the 1976 Olympic team. In fact, a month or two before Gerry turned pro, Hearns was losing a decision as an amateur in Indonesia to a guy nobody ever heard of before or since.

Cooney turned pro seven months before Hearns. And Manny got his feet wet in the pro game training AND managing Hearns, Hilmer Kenty and some other Detroit guys who fought amateur under him. He had zero credentials at the time (compared to Victor Valle, who had trained world champions Alfredo Escalera and Esteban DeJesus.

We now Steward became a HoF trainer, but he wasn’t so at that time and nobody was going to take their top prospect to an amateur gym in Detroit and say, ‘Hey, your guys aren’t making the Olympic team or winning all the national AAU and Golden Gloves titles, but why not take over our guy?’

I seriously doubt anyone in New York outside of some amateur boxing insiders even knew who Steward was at this time.

 

My first pick was Freddie Roach but then he has no real experience with Heavyweights. My second pick was Teddy Atlas but then Atlas isent proven.
To my point that Steward more then most was a proven heavyweight trainer that produced HW Champs. That is why he is my number 1 pick that could have brought out the best on Cooney! Imo

 

No disrespect..the Detroit gym you mention is 'Kronk Gym' !

 

Yes and it became world-famous … but it was not at the time Gerry Cooney was turning pro.

It was Kronk Recreation Center, a public youth center that had an amateur boxing program, and it’s almost a guarantee that no one outside Detroit had ever heard of it in 1977.

I guess it depends on how you’re looking at things: if this is about what trainer in history could be plucked out of a time machine and paired with Cooney, that’s one way to look at it. I’m talking a bout trainers in 1977 when Cooney turned pro who could have guided him — at that time, Emmanuel Steward was a mostly-unknown trainer of amateur boxers with no experience in the pro game. He had been coaching amateurs part-time for like six years. And no heavyweights of note that I’m aware of … he would become a Hall of Famer, but at that time he was just a fairly successful amateur coach.

 

There is no date of which trainer is relevant to the question. This is why I started with Eddie Reynoso...

 

I wasn’t taking this as an Avengers movie where they could travel through time. I was looking at it as a real world as it was in 1977 when Cooney turned pro (see above where I expanded on my answer). No disrespect intended, we are just taking the question differently.

 

Since the time is still relevant to your question and my answer..Cooney may have been Emanuel Stewards first HW champ.. Imo.. Steward evan if he was a small time coach could have easily brought out the best in Cooney.

 

yes

Cooney is to blame for anything he did not achieve. & also deserve credit for everything he did achieved. fact is after the Holmes defeat he did not handle it. sulk on loss & did not want fight.

his managers did great job move him for big pay fights & good publicity. but should have scheduled more match before title match & help his chances with a bit more experience. that was a problem with good boxers around at time held the world titles

the trainer Victor Sr. he did nothing wrong at all. saved him too in Holmes fight.

 

to create him into better fighter could have moved him different
they should put him with some good tests before move him to fight Holmes or Weaver
to get rounds & confidence & experience.

people say a trainer should teach him what to do when hurt in big fight!??
no you cannot teach this. this comes naturally instinct & also with experience of real competition fights.

Cooney did ok career

 

I think
Cus turn him down because he wanted to make manager decisions. & Cooney managers did not agree to this

this would be true if scenario is Emanuel Steward also. Steward was manager trainer in those times. he would want the manager decisions

this men Steward & D'amato are remember as " great trainer ' ' now but were actual manager at the peak of the success. this explains such successes. they handle career of great champion not just in gym

Victor Valle sr did good job with the Cooney

 

Agree. Valle was a good trainer. Cooney just didn’t have a yearning desire to be a fighter. He was also injury prone and too distractible. Considering the above he still had a decent career and managed to Survive the sport a rich man and in good health.