Who else would have beaten Gerry Cooney in 1982?

If we’re talking about 1982 and the guys who were around in their actual renditions for that specific year, then my answer would be very few. The Tim Witherspoon who beat Reinaldo Snipes might have done especially given that he allegedly hurt Gerry in sparking. I can’t see weaver beating Cooney. He was a slow starter and one who was much smaller in size. Page was too inconsistent to favor. Thomas wasn’t quite on the scene. Dokes hadn’t done anything impressive and wouldn’t until the tail end of that year and even that would be controversial.

 

Mike Weaver, Gerrie Coetzee, Tim Witherspoon, Pinklon Thomas, Greg Page, Trevor Berbick, Mike Dokes should all be favourites.
Maybe Renaldo Snipes, James Tillis and Tex Cobb would beat him too.

 

I was not talking about you but ok

 

in 1982 page lost to Berbick but he’s going to beat Cooney?

In 1982 pinklon Thomas was going the distance with a guy who was 6-18-1 called Johnny Warr and a 10 fight novice called Jerry Williams who he had previously beat already before beating Quick Tillis, the first win of any means Thomas had registered in 4 years as a pro. i am not sure Pinklon was quite ready for Cooney. Even next year he drew with Coetzee.

1982 Witherspoon was unknown. Fought twice. Luis Acosta and Renaldo Snipes. He beat Acosta and was lucky to win by a disputed majority decision against Snipes. To put things into perspective Snipes was fresh off a draw against Scott Frank!

1982 Dokes beat The nine times defeated mike Weaver for the WBA title. He also beat 18-5 Lynn Ball. That’s probably the best year of Dokes life. The following year he was knocked flat by Gerrie Coetzee.

1984 and 1985 Cooney sank a fair bit. But probably not enough to lose to Tony Tubbs. I really cannot see any hard evidence that makes Tubbs a sure fire thing against any top heavyweight. I don’t think Bonecrusher was especially top level, Ring magazine had him #9 and he was coming off a loss. Page was 1-2 in his last 3 fights. Though admittedly he had a belt somehow.

 

I think a guy like Bonecrusher stops him with the right. He could punch. Dokes. Tubbs. A lot of guys. Gerry did not take a great punch, yet he had a great left hook. He was a bit overrated.

 

Cooney is a genuine enigma. Only against Holmes, a superb champion, did we get a glimpse of what might be in his locker. Due to inactivity, drink, drugs and depression, we never got another sight of what might have been.
That fight with Holmes was the first post Ali Heavyweight Title fight to get any real publicity here in the UK, it was live on the radio - I know, I was listening. So much talk in the immediate aftermath was about what Cooney could go on to achieve. We will never know.

 

NOBODY ever stopped Johnny Warr. All 21 of his professional losses saw the final bell, many of which were against some of the better prospects of the period...

 

Johnny Warr was like the Marion Wilson of his day.
He fought Berbick to a split decision.

Cheers.

 

I never saw any of his fights. But I suspect he was one of these guys who fought to survive most of the time

 

At least Williams beat a couple of genuine top 10 contenders and fought others.

Cooney beating Young or Norton is not in the same stratosphere as Weaver beating Tate. This should not need to be explained, really. Tate was the second best heavyweight in the world. Tate's resume was quite good at the time with a win over Coetzee prominent. He was considered very talented and a unification with Holmes to see who as best was in the wind. Tubbs, Page and Dokes were solid top 3-5 contenders not just prospects. Page in particular had multiple wins over top 10 contenders, something Cooney never ever had!!!!!!!

Williams had more wins over genuine top 10 heavyweights than Cooney. This is the point.

Again, Cooney had less in the W column than Williams per top 10 heavyweights.

 

Cooney was going to be a very minor favorite when there was talk of them meeting.

Trying to base an argument based on form against common opponents when one is KO orientated and the other a boxer/puncher is one of the silliest tactics i see in here. I've already tipped you off on the charade!!!!

Look at what Foreman did to Frazier and Norton after both had given Ali hell or beat him!!!! There are thousands of other examples!!!!!

Maybe afterward was Cooney's level? Harsh but not totally impossible. After all we didn't see him prove himself in the ring against good contenders. He lost every time he fought someone good and prime, and also to Foreman a decade + past prime.

I don't think Cooney beats everyone 79-83. Jesus H Christ he didn't actually beat ANYBODY so how in hell would that stand up?? It's not totally impossible but requires an immense leap of faith.

If he did lose to any of them he probably would have retired or semi-retired anyway. Gerry is a great bloke but didn't have the intestinal fortitude to get the most out of himself any way it is spun.

He got three fantastic paydays for someone so unproven. Good on him too i like the guy. Perhaps, maybe, possibly he could have been good if brought along a bit better but again he didn't have that love and instinct for boxing inside him so it might be moot.

 

you keep saying this but you are not telling me the ranking of the guys when Williams beat them.

was he? Was he really? All he beat was Coetzee. Certainly Coetzee was riding high after beating Leon Spinks but second best in 1979? Right after Ernie Shavers blew Norton out in one round? I don’t know about you but I think beating Ken Norton in one round is better than beating Leon in one round.

page did beat more rated fighters. I like him. He also lost to as many as he beat. His best win by 1982 was probably Scott Ledoux or outpointing Jimmy Young for the USBA title. Cooney did better against Young and Norton by that point.

can you name them all please.

let’s see that list.

I am not basing an argument. I am simply debating an opinion. Boxer puncher or not, Page scored knockouts over Ledoux and (much later) Coetzee and Tillis. He could bang. So he should have demolished Jimmy Young. I think he would have been a good opponent for Cooney. And (as you admit yourself) in 1982 Gerry would have been favourite to win. So we are in agreement here.

compared to the 1982 crowd of contenders I think Cooney had the most proof among his peers at that time. The governing bodies thought so. #1 contender for both The WBA and WBC.

not really. Snipes drew with Scott Frank and got the better of Tim Witherspoon in a majority decision that went the wrong way. Page lost to Berbick. And Berbick lost to Snipes who drew with Scott Frank. So here is evidence that results show there probably was not much difference between all these guys.

well that’s the thing. I don’t think he could have lost to them before 1982. The guy was number one with the WBA and the WBC. Maybe that was the problem?

yes I agree that financially Gerry did better than all of those beltholder contender types. I won’t cry myself a river over Cooneys bad luck. The guy must be loaded from those paydays whilst guys like Tubbs are still getting arrested.

 

IMO he'd lose to Thomas
Witherspoon
Dokes
Berbick and Tubbs.
The maybe s are
Weaver
Coetzee
Tate
Smith

A lot depends on when Cooney actually meets em. If they'd be crowned an alphabet champ of the month already, then they've probably taken their feet off the gas, started eating, drinking, whatever they liked to do, to excess, and be there ripe for the kill!

 

I think that a retired Foreman would comeback for a fight in 1982 and he would Ko cooney lol. Yes knock out