Earnie Shavers (1978) vs. Gerry Cooney (1982)...

[The Great John L]

Can you name an instance in which a man of Cooney's fast starting ability and punching power had him in trouble early and Shavers recovered to win?

Jeff Sims probably punched harder than Cooney. Of course as I've noted Shavers almost never got knocked down early. And he had close to 90 pro fights.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

Can you name an instance in which a man of Cooney's fast starting ability and punching power had him in trouble early and Shavers recovered to win?

Jeff Sims probably punched harder than Cooney. Of course as I've noted Shavers almost never got knocked down early. And he had close to 90 pro fights.

Even past the difference in durability, the speed difference is a killer. It's hard to imagine Gerry lasting a round.

[The Great John L]

Can you name an instance in which a man of Cooney's fast starting ability and punching power had him in trouble early and Shavers recovered to win?

Jeff Sims probably punched harder than Cooney. Of course as I've noted Shavers almost never got knocked down early. And he had close to 90 pro fights.

Even past the difference in durability, the speed difference is a killer. It's hard to imagine Gerry lasting a round.

Do you mean against Sims? I would agree.

[drunkenpiper36]

Can you name an instance in which a man of Cooney's fast starting ability and punching power had him in trouble early and Shavers recovered to win?

Jeff Sims probably punched harder than Cooney. Of course as I've noted Shavers almost never got knocked down early. And he had close to 90 pro fights.

Fair enough, and I'll accept that as a good answer. Frankly, I don't think Sims was the caliber of fighter that Cooney was, but his power and early round abilities are probably in the same fraternity. I myself still think that Cooney could have had a similar night against Shavers as Quarry, but I realize that didn't happen often.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

Jeff Sims probably punched harder than Cooney. Of course as I've noted Shavers almost never got knocked down early. And he had close to 90 pro fights.

Even past the difference in durability, the speed difference is a killer. It's hard to imagine Gerry lasting a round.

Do you mean against Sims? I would agree.

[The Great John L]

Can you name an instance in which a man of Cooney's fast starting ability and punching power had him in trouble early and Shavers recovered to win?

Jeff Sims probably punched harder than Cooney. Of course as I've noted Shavers almost never got knocked down early. And he had close to 90 pro fights.

Fair enough, and I'll accept that as a good answer. Frankly, I don't think Sims was the caliber of fighter that Cooney was, but his power and early round abilities are probably in the same fraternity. I myself still think that Cooney could have had a similar night against Shavers as Quarry, but I realize that didn't happen often.

Cooney and Quarry shouldn't be mentioned in the same paragraph.

Sims was a harder puncher and more durable than Cooney. Cooneys team would have never allowed Gerry anywhere near Simms.

[The Great John L]

Even past the difference in durability, the speed difference is a killer. It's hard to imagine Gerry lasting a round.

Do you mean against Sims? I would agree.

I was only half kidding with that reply. Sims was a monster puncher, and actually stopped a few pretty good fighters.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

Do you mean against Sims? I would agree.

I was only half kidding with that reply. Sims was a monster puncher, and actually stopped a few pretty good fighters.

I know, that's a quality mythical fight. Much better than some of the ones on the front page. Gerry never struck me as a dynamic puncher. He obviously had power, but not one shot kind of stuff against good opposition. He tagged George about 100 times. I think a guy like Golota would eat him alive before he ever had a chance to mentally break down.

Sims and Stinson were two guys I liked as a kid just from my magazines.

[The Great John L]

Sims and Stinson were two guys I liked as a kid just from my magazines.

Stinson was a very good am and was a decent club fighter. Sims was a monster puncher and would have had a good shot of stopping Cooney. Cooeny would matchup much better with light hitting boxers where he could use his size adavantage.

[drunkenpiper36]

Cooney and Quarry shouldn't be mentioned in the same paragraph.

Having the better legacy isn't relevant here. Getting a man drowning in the first round was something Cooney was better at. And being 6'7", 225 lbs, and clearly the harder puncher, I don't see why he couldn't have replicated the same performance against Earnie.

Sims was a harder puncher

hmmmm...

Jimmy Young was interviewed years ago and asked who hit him the hardest. He listed them in the following order

1. Earnie Shavers
2. George Foreman
3. Gerry cooney

Didn't see sims in there anywhere.

and more durable than Cooney.

Around 1990 I was watching USA tuesday night fights hosted by Al Albert and Sean O'Grady. Jeff Sims fought Tim Witherspoon that night. The fight itself was irrelevant as Sims was clearly shot by that point, but what I happen to remember was one of the commentators mentioning that stamina and durability was something that plagued Sims his entire career and may have limited his success. Care to comment on that?