Jerry Cooney doc

[Dr. Z]

I am watching this documentary. Conney had skills and a killer body attack, but it seems to be his biggest opponent was himself. Cooney sure cut up many fighters really bad. He did. Personally I think his trainer was poor and his mangers were jokes. An underachiever if you will that had self doubts, and problems with drugs and alcohol. Otherwise he would have achieved more. But with his team and personal problems is was it was.

Did you know his team wanted the old Ali? Ali would fight not him! He should have waited for Holmes to age a bit. A prime Holmes was an all time opponent. Cooney probably took four rounds from Holmes and fought the wrong fight. He should have pressed it.

Watch the doc here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38sX37Axe_E

[JAB5239]

His personal problems certainly hampered his career. I always liked Cooney. But for as hard a puncher as he was, it was pretty obvious he had self doubs and lacked real confidence. To bad because he could have been a lot better than his career played out.

[Willow The Wisp]

Cooney is a friend of mine. We only meet up once a year in Canastota, but he's a buddy and one heck of a nice, down to earth guy.
I told him one time awhile back, paraphrasing here; "The night of the fight I was there, almost as gutted as you about the outcome because I knew what kind of champion you would make, and in the years that followed I saw you having struggles getting over it. But look a you now. People line up just to shake your hand and take a selfie with you. You're healthy, happy. You have your mind and you're still a millionaire. How the hell would anything be any different now if you'd caught Holmes in the corner, ripped those uppercuts and took the title home, you tell me? You fought a great fight with one of the best heavyweights ever on his best night ever, and half the world saw you do it, and that's why you've got these fans here lined up to meet you, Bernstein over here waiting to interview you decades later. How could you have ended up better than you are right now?".
He gave a big hug and we put up our dukes messing around, and without me seeing it he tapped me on the liver, lightning fast, real soft. Professional like. And I just thought to myself how ****ed I'd be if he put his power into that tap.
People criticized Gerry after that big fight and for a long time after, characterizing him as no more than a big build-up with all that "sport's first billion dollar athlete" talk (a billion in 1982 would be over 3 billion today), cover of Sports Illustrated, Sport and Time Magazine the same week. He wasn't quite up to that. You can count on your fingers the men born to this earth who might have been. But he was pretty close, dispite being a kid in a circus atmosphere as large as any ever; and he has gained respect over time. Respect like he deserves as one of the best ever not to win a title. 100% respect. That dude could fight.

[JAB5239]

Cooney is a friend of mine. We only meet up once a year in Canastota, but he's a buddy and one heck of a nice, down to earth guy.
I told him one time awhile back, paraphrasing here; "The night of the fight I was there, almost as gutted as you about the outcome because I knew what kind of champion you would make, and in the years that followed I saw you having struggles getting over it. But look a you now. People line up just to shake your hand and take a selfie with you. You're healthy, happy. You have your mind and you're still a millionaire. How the hell would anything be any different now if you'd caught Holmes in the corner, ripped those uppercuts and took the title home, you tell me? You fought a great fight with one of the best heavyweights ever on his best night ever, and half the world saw you do it, and that's why you've got these fans here lined up to meet you, Bernstein over here waiting to interview you decades later. How could you have ended up better than you are right now?".
He gave a big hug and we put up our dukes messing around, and without me seeing it he tapped me on the liver, lightning fast, real soft. Professional like. And I just thought to myself how ****ed I'd be if he put his power into that tap.
People criticized Gerry after that big fight and for a long time after, characterizing him as no more than a big build-up with all that "sport's first billion dollar athlete" talk (a billion in 1982 would be over 3 billion today), cover of Sports Illustrated, Sport and Time Magazine the same week. He wasn't quite up to that. You can count on your fingers the men born to this earth who might have been. But he was pretty close, dispite being a kid in a circus atmosphere as large as any ever; and he has gained respect over time. Respect like he deserves as one of the best ever not to win a title. 100% respect. That dude could fight.

What a great perspective!!

[Slugfester]

Cooney's punches usually didn't look that hard but had devastating effect. He didn't t throw big roundhouse hooks but short tight ones. You never knew who was showing up to fight. Foreman rated his punch in the top three he'd felt.

[Ivich]

Cooney is a friend of mine. We only meet up once a year in Canastota, but he's a buddy and one heck of a nice, down to earth guy.
I told him one time awhile back, paraphrasing here; "The night of the fight I was there, almost as gutted as you about the outcome because I knew what kind of champion you would make, and in the years that followed I saw you having struggles getting over it. But look a you now. People line up just to shake your hand and take a selfie with you. You're healthy, happy. You have your mind and you're still a millionaire. How the hell would anything be any different now if you'd caught Holmes in the corner, ripped those uppercuts and took the title home, you tell me? You fought a great fight with one of the best heavyweights ever on his best night ever, and half the world saw you do it, and that's why you've got these fans here lined up to meet you, Bernstein over here waiting to interview you decades later. How could you have ended up better than you are right now?".
He gave a big hug and we put up our dukes messing around, and without me seeing it he tapped me on the liver, lightning fast, real soft. Professional like. And I just thought to myself how ****ed I'd be if he put his power into that tap.
People criticized Gerry after that big fight and for a long time after, characterizing him as no more than a big build-up with all that "sport's first billion dollar athlete" talk (a billion in 1982 would be over 3 billion today), cover of Sports Illustrated, Sport and Time Magazine the same week. He wasn't quite up to that. You can count on your fingers the men born to this earth who might have been. But he was pretty close, dispite being a kid in a circus atmosphere as large as any ever; and he has gained respect over time. Respect like he deserves as one of the best ever not to win a title. 100% respect. That dude could fight.

He always comes across as a real nice regular guy.
With different management that allowed him to gradually up his opposition so that he was ready and capable of winning when he got his chance instead of the Whacko Twins who were just interested in manoeuvering him into the title shot and cashing in,he might have pulled off the upset.

[Willie Pep 229]

Cooney is a friend of mine. We only meet up once a year in Canastota, but he's a buddy and one heck of a nice, down to earth guy.
I told him one time awhile back, paraphrasing here; "The night of the fight I was there, almost as gutted as you about the outcome because I knew what kind of champion you would make, and in the years that followed I saw you having struggles getting over it. But look a you now. People line up just to shake your hand and take a selfie with you. You're healthy, happy. You have your mind and you're still a millionaire. How the hell would anything be any different now if you'd caught Holmes in the corner, ripped those uppercuts and took the title home, you tell me? You fought a great fight with one of the best heavyweights ever on his best night ever, and half the world saw you do it, and that's why you've got these fans here lined up to meet you, Bernstein over here waiting to interview you decades later. How could you have ended up better than you are right now?".
He gave a big hug and we put up our dukes messing around, and without me seeing it he tapped me on the liver, lightning fast, real soft. Professional like. And I just thought to myself how ****ed I'd be if he put his power into that tap.
People criticized Gerry after that big fight and for a long time after, characterizing him as no more than a big build-up with all that "sport's first billion dollar athlete" talk (a billion in 1982 would be over 3 billion today), cover of Sports Illustrated, Sport and Time Magazine the same week. He wasn't quite up to that. You can count on your fingers the men born to this earth who might have been. But he was pretty close, dispite being a kid in a circus atmosphere as large as any ever; and he has gained respect over time. Respect like he deserves as one of the best ever not to win a title. 100% respect. That dude could fight.

There is a similar story told by Dempsey the night he lost his title to Tunney.

He was sitting on a training table with everyone consoling or excusing away the fight, telling him to keep his head up sort of thing. When some stranger in the lockerroom talked loudly over everyone, and told Dempsey he is the luckiest guy in the world. Everyone stopped and looked at the guy kinda funny.

Then the guy pretty much said to Dempsey what you said to Cooney.

Dempsey said he never forgot it.