Theoretical Gerry Cooney question?

Question

If you replaced Rocky Marciano's place and time in the heavyweights with Cooney, what would Gerry's career have been like? The reason I bring this up is that during Cooney's ascention, he was touted as a 6'6" Rocky Marciano. He even had a better run-up to title contention than did Marciano. Then reality struck in the name of Larry Holmes. I just wonder if there had been no Holmes, just what Cooney's career would have been? Or if Cooney took Marciano's place, what would have been?

Answer 1

Cooney would have lost to Walcott, Charles and probably Archie Moore as well.

Answer 2

If Michael Spinks can KO him then Ezzard Charles can beat him too. He is not a bigger version of Rocky Marciano. After the Larry Holmes fight, if I remember correctly, they interview Rocky sibling and he said if Gerry Cooney has half the heart that his brother Rocky Marciano had, Gerry would of win the fight.

Answer 3

Cooney would have probably succeeded against most of the people that Marciano faced, he would have definetely beaten a forty something year old joe louis as well as archie moore and joe walcott,he might have had some trouble against Ezzard Charles because charles seemed to get better as he got older,but he would have managed to beat everyone else that marciano fought and probably would have gone undefeated too (unless he stopped training and took his opposition for granted), if he never faced holmes he would have probably become champion and had some good title defenses,however i think he would have eventually lost it to greg page,tony tucker or tyson towards the late eighties (he would have also been past his prime by then) I think cooney was a very good boxer he had considerable power and was quite relentless when he wanted to be,however he left himself open a lot and his chin was ok but not great,and eventually even if he didn't fight holmes fighters like tucker and tyson would have exposed this weakness.

Albert P, forty or thirty seven, fact remains that joe louis was old and past his prime, and don't give me that heart bullsh*t, marciano had a lot of heart but his competition was lack luster compared to many other greats.

Answer 4

Interesting question here.  Cooney actually gave a pretty decent account of himself against champion Larry Holmes when they fought but was never the same fighter afterwards.  Cooney later on was knocked out by George Foreman which is no great surprise and then Michael Spinks.  It's really difficult to say but Cooney probably would have been a contender in Marciano's day with his great size and power.  I believe he would have been too strong for LaStarza even though LaStarza was a much better boxer.  I believe he would have probably knocked out Rex`Layne.  He would have beaten Archie Moore in the latter rounds after a very hard fight and won by technical knockout.  Moore even though he was older was the #1 contender when he fought the Rock after beating Nino Valdez and Bob Baker with plenty of fuel in the tank.  I believe that Cooney would have lost to both Ezzard Charles and Jersey Joe Walcott by decisions   Walcott was a better fighter as he got older.  He should have won the decision against Joe Louis in 1947 and did knock out Charles to win the championship.  He was very trickey and clever.  Anybody that disagrees with this, just check out his fights.  He was very smart and a dangerous fighter.  Charles could also do it all in the ring and despite the obvious size difference, has too much skill for Cooney.  Marciano would have devasted Cooney especially when he got inside because he was much tougher and harder to hurt.  Marciano would have probably knocked Gerry out by the 6th round in my opinion.

Now for the second part of your question, if Cooney had fought without Holmes being the champion.  He would have fought some of the same guys he did fight like Norton who was too far gone and never could handle true sluggers.  Renaldo Snipes, Carl "The Truth" Williams, Tim Witherspoon, Greg Page, and Michael Dokes would have all been formidable opponents for Gerry Cooney.  He probably would have beaten most of them and possibly even been a champion, but it would have been a very hard test.

Answer 5

The ONLY similarity between Marciano and Cooney is skin color. I don't know how you ever came up with that one. I also never heard Cooney compared to Marciano except in the context that they are both white. If you want to see what 6'6" looks likw in a heap, put Cooney in with Marciano.

Answer 6

Gerry Cooney had very good punching power but not very much else.  He had a weak chin as demonstrated in a KO loss to Michael Spinks.  I really don't see him doing very well against any legitimate, mobile heavyweight with better than average skills and more than average desire.

Not since Primo Carnera has a heavyweight been "groomed" so nicely and undeservedly into title contention.  It is a credit to Larry Holmes love to engage in combat that his fight with Cooney lasted as long as it did.  Take a close look at the tape.  You'll see it really didn't have to.

Answer 7

Offensively, he would have been great, perhaps something like Max Baer was. Cooney could box and did have pop.

But defensively, people forget about Rocco's chin. Walcott, Moore and others really whacked him. Cooney did not have that kind of chin. Not even close really.

So time traveling is no lock for Cooney. Probably for any era.

Answer 8

Cooney would have done well if he were to replace Marciano in time.  ITs sad how the media turned on him when he didn't beat Holmes.   Even SI mag, should be shamed,   not so much for its blatent treatment of Cooney as if he were champion but for the shameful way they bashed him for "Failing" them.    I still remember the jerk,  Pat Putnam, who wrote for SI mag.  I met that weasel and I doubt he ever played any kind of sport in his life.  

Gerry wasn't as bad as you might think.   He was well protected and, as a result, didn't learn his craft well.  He did well against Holmes but he was under a TON of pressure.  

I think he would be simply too big for most of the guys during Rocky's time.   Even Rocky himself would not have such an easy time beating Gerry.   He's just too big.  I really believe that Rocky would have fought at around 200-205 had he fought at a later generation.  Rocky walked around at over 210 and purposely trained down to the 188 range.  

Cooney could have piled a little more muscle on that lanky frame.  He was 6'6" or 6'7" but only 225lbs and would be man-handled by some of today's dinosaurs.  He would destroy guys like Roland Lastarza and Rex Lane.  He would probably lose to Moore, Walcott and certainly Charles.  

With no Holmes, Cooney would have won some type of title.  He still would not have gone very far in the early 80s because he was protected and ill-prepared for some of the tougher fighters.   He would beat some of the lazy non-trainers like Tubbs and Bey and a few others.   He might even get to Weaver, who was notoriously slow.  A well conditioned Greg Page (rare)  or Pinklon Thomas might beat him.

Answer 9

I saw Cooney fight in one of his first NY Golden Glove fights. He was a big, awkward kid who could hit but had no concept of any defense. As Cooney went pro, he still had that punch but he  also still had little else. Cooney would have been custom-made for the crouching  shell-like Rocky. The only thing they had in common was the color of their skin & the fact that their feet faced the same way in the restroom.