What do BoxRec Forum goers make of career of Gerry Cooney?

[Caractacus]

I think there was a concern about him not winning a fight and having a blight on his record,
because unlike the old days,one loss and the critics say you are a bum and over-rated in the first place,
not like the old days when fighters fought so often,a loss wasnt a big deal
if you were usually consistant.
( how many times did Archie Moore loose just before getting a title shot?)

[Kalan]

Larry Merchant called Holmes over Cooney his most satisfying outcome; he felt that Cooney was an upstart (my word, not his) who hadn't earned his shot, and that the Holmes victory was a 'redemption of professionalism' (his words, not mine). I don't agree with Merchant, but I can see his point.

Cooney was off for over a year before the Holmes fight.. Physically he looked like Hell and not strong like he did for the Norton fight.. And he looked worse and worse from then on as his alcohol and drug abuse habits got worse and he took years off between fights.. If you think anything positive is going to come out of that kind of lack of commitment to do anything right, you probably voted for Trump.

Cooney was a waste of talent -- more so than Buster Douglas and Tyson Fury because they won the Lineal Heavyweight Title... Cooney was the epitome.

[Tony1244]

Cooney was showcased as a devastating puncher. That sold tickets and was hyped by his KO1 wins over aging Ken Norton and Ron Lyle.

The truth was Cooney was probably a better boxer than a puncher. Watch his fight against Leroy Boone to see what I mean.

Nice guy. Had admitted drug and alcohol problems like every other baby boomer kid out of Long Island.

[Kalan]

Had admitted drug and alcohol problems like every other baby boomer kid out of Long Island.

Another broad brush statement Tony.. According to Cooney his dad always put him down and told him he'd never amount to anything.. Psychologically he never felt worthy of even challenging for a World Title, or of the adulation and acclaim he was getting -- so he self-sabotaged his success to fall into line with his self-image.. Doctors were able to peel these problems back for Cooney after his retirement from Boxing and heal him.

You see similar self-sabotaging behaviors in many boxers, like Tyson Fury and Buster Douglas... They both cried when they won the title... Not tears of joy but sadness... They were sorrowful and had a hard time understanding what was happening -- because it didn't jive with the losers they thought they were.. These problems aren't generationally or geographically based.. They can happen to anybody, anytime, anywhere if they're continuously put down as a child.

[Joe Speck]

I suppose most fans might know already...... Eddie Lopez it's been reported HAS DIED July 14 this year. 25(17)-4-2 whole career. I never met him or had any personal contact but..... being the FAN that I am it was really sad reading that. R.I.P. very good warrior there.