Bert Cooper just passed away. Would he be champ in this era?

[ShoulderRoll]

RIP

A tough and entertaining son of a gun when he had his head on straight. Used the cross guard of his mentor Joe Frazier, didn't have as good a left hook as Joe but had a much better right hand. Came within a hair of knocking out Evander Holyfield for the title. Poor training habits and drug use cut short his potential.

If he was magically transported in his prime to the present day you think he would hold all the straps?

[BattlingNelson]

Gee that was an early exit. May he Rest In Peace.

What happened?


Cooper was entertaining, but imo he fought the fight of his life against Holyfield. I generally consider him more of a journeyman or gatekeeper at best. I don’t see him as champion of any of the main alphabet org tbh.

[BKM-]

R.I.P. entertaining good fighter, I would not skip a fight of his if it was on. But no he did not "come within a hair of knocking out Holyfield".

[ShoulderRoll]

Gee that was an early exit. May he Rest In Peace.

What happened?


Cooper was entertaining, but imo he fought the fight of his life against Holyfield. I generally consider him more of a journeyman or gatekeeper at best. I don’t see him as champion of any of the main alphabet org tbh.

Pancreatic cancer. He was only 53 years old.

Besides the Holyfield fight he also gave hell to Michael Moorer and Ray Mercer.

R.I.P. entertaining good fighter, I would not skip a fight of his if it was on. But no he did not "come within a hair of knocking out Holyfield".

Another good punch or two and Holy would have been done.

[QueensburyRules]

- -R.I.P. Bert.

Save for the insidious coke plague of his era, he had the natural attributes to hold a belt.

Gotta remember 2 years earlier Big George had him scrambling for a soft landing after 2 rds, yet on short notice he took Mr Field to the brink.

My fav was in that boxing tourney. When matched against the "undefeated" Brit bareknuckler Joe Savage as I recall the name, Coop demolished him easy as pie inside the 1st.

[BKM-]

Another good punch or two and Holy would have been done.

You must be a Tyson fan if you want to make that claim. Bert, God rest his soul, landed a series of good shots on ol' 'Vander and all credits to him, it significantly hurt him and he stumbled onto the ropes, probably would have went down otherwise hence the 8 count. But he recovered well and soon after would hurt Cooper right back. Holyfield had a tough fight but was never in danger of losing.

[BKM-]

Gotta remember 2 years earlier Big George had him scrambling for a soft landing after 2 rds, yet on short notice he took Mr Field to the brink.

I remember when George landed the most devastating body shot I've ever seen that did not result in a KO, the sound went through the whole arena it was scary. After that, the fight was pretty much over.



Big George was a bad man.

[ShoulderRoll]

- -R.I.P. Bert.

Save for the insidious coke plague of his era, he had the natural attributes to hold a belt.

Gotta remember 2 years earlier Big George had him scrambling for a soft landing after 2 rds, yet on short notice he took Mr Field to the brink.

My fav was in that boxing tourney. When matched against the "undefeated" Brit bareknuckler Joe Savage as I recall the name, Coop demolished him easy as pie inside the 1st.

Yes. He definitely showed the British bareknuckler that there were levels to this fight game.

[Removed Now]

He would definitely be a champion in this era.

[QueensburyRules]

- -Gotta admit the Brit got in his shots and went down swinging.

As far as today, Bert would be easily dispatched by AJ, however given Deyonce never learned how to box and given Bert's low crouching style with unorthodox delivery of booming punches, he'd have a better than even chance if he mixes body and head for an early stoppage of that thug.