Who did Kevin Rooney have success with aside from Tyson?

He had his way with Argüello!

Didn't he train Vinny Paz?

 

The only other fighter I can recall him working with (I am sure there are others) was Jeremy Williams. The thing is, he trained him and taught him to be another Tyson. I recall before a fight Williams was warming up with Rooney watching on and Williams was emulating Tyson in every way. Working side-to-side, peek-a-boo style, throwing punches in the same manner. But this wasn't a natural style for him. He was small and I think the fight I'm talking about was one where he got beat. It just wasn't him and I realized Rooney only had one style to share with a fighter. He was made for Tyson and both he and Tyson lost out on the dissolution to their partnership. I recall Tyson's first bout after getting rid of Rooney and it was so obvious, because he just loaded up on every shot (I think it was a Bruno fight). Gone were the combos, the setup, the jab. Again, Rooney was made for Tyson and that's about all. It has happened before. Yank Durham was made for Joe Frazier. But when Yank signed Len Hutchins to his stable, things went south for Len. Len was a pure boxer. No punch, worked behind the jab, fast combos. I recall Len saying after their quick breakup, "He was trying to get me to bob and weave and work the body." So, some trainers are just made for one style/one fighter. A trainer who can emphasize a fighters pluses, whether he be boxer, puncher, swarmer, etc., is a diverse trainer.

 

you too

 

To your point, yeah Rooney is overrated as a trainer. Although he views himself as being mistreated, if it wasn't for Mike he would just be boxing trivia as the guy who got iced by Arguello. It's not that he was a bad trainer; a lot of people who know boxing will attest that he knew his stuff.

But he was lucky to be paired up with Mike Tyson along with the whole support apparatus that Cus had built up with Jacobs etc.

When Cus died, Tyson lost the only guy who could have helped him navigate the dangers of fame, who could have kept him safe from the predatory influences. Although I'm sure Rooney did the best he could to keep Mike in championship form, he was a far cry from being the philosopher of war that Cus was.

 

He was in his corner for at least a couple fights but it was deep in Pazienza's career.
The guy that Rooney trained from day one in Cus's system was Ricky Meyer, maybe Meyers. He headlined a time or two on ESPN before he washed out.

 

I remember Ricky Meyers. Saw him beat Bramble with Eddie Mustafa Muhammad training him. He lost his next time out (also with Eddie in his corner) and never heard from him again. Don't know when Rooney was involved. Maybe early in his career.

 

You have me wondering now, and I can't find any place that Rooney trained him. But I am pretty sure that, when he was fighting Carl Griffiths, Roland Cummings and Mickey Ward, that he was with Rooney.
But my memory ain't what it used to be.

 

I know that Yank Durham was with Joe Frazier, but so was Eddie Futch during that time, he and Yank worked together with Joe. Eddie stayed after Yank died.

 

My understanding is that Rooney didn’t have a lot of success gambling, which was his main interest and vice.

 

Some great points.

Per the thread title Rooney bulked Paz up and took him to the WBA light middle title i believe. Moving up on Rooney's advice resurrected his career. He was with him after the broken neck too all the way thru Duran and Jones i believe. did a great job really.

 

I think Rooney did a great job with Pazienza...who was actually faster of hand and foot and stronger at 154lbs.. and a much better fighter under Kevin than he had been at 135 lbs.

I read Cayton also had Rooney take a look at Tommy Morrison around 1989-90 for a month or so but thats hardly "handling" someones training.

 

Rooney was perfect for Tyson. Tyson listened to him for a time but it was cus’s blueprint. Look at Patterson - Tyson’s style mirror’d much of what Patterson did.
Rooney was handed a recipe and molded it onto a gifted athlete. It was a good marriage.

 

In addition to Meyers, Paz and Williams for a time, he trained Omar Sheika when he was on the way up and I believe Rooney was cut loose after Sheika lost to Calzaghe.

So, he took Sheika to a title, but didn't win it.

Last I heard about Rooney he was brought in to train Jean Marc Mormeck before Mormeck's challenge of Wlad. But I think Mormeck fired him before the fight took place. May have been more of a publicity stunt to make people think Mormeck was going to fight like Tyson. (He didn't.)