What If...... Gerry Cooney Had Gone The WBA Route

[keithmoonhangover]

So instead of fighting Larry Holmes in June '82, he fights Mike Weaver.

How would he do against Weaver?

Would he have a couple of easy defences?

Would he beat Gerrie Coetzee, Dokes and Page?

[tiny_acres]

Slow starting Weaver was tailor made for fast starting Cooney. I think it would be a
KO in 1 or 2 rounds.
He could beat Coetzee and Page. I think Dokes gives him the most troubles. But it all depends if after beating Weaver would Cooney dive into alcohol and drugs like he did after losing to Holmes

[Caractacus]

Cooney was scheduled to fight Mike Weaver,
(Cooney was the number one WBA contender)
But Weaver's management chose him to defend against the number two contender
James "Quick" Tillis instead.
They(Cooney's managers) offered Tillis "One Million dollars" stepping aside money,
but Tillis fought Weaver anyway and that fight turned out to be very dull from what I remember.

[Ambling Alp II]

Always wonder how Cooney would have done against those guys myself. They all, had their strengths and weaknesses and were inconsistent.

[Nile4000]

So instead of fighting Larry Holmes in June '82, he fights Mike Weaver.

How would he do against Weaver?

Would he have a couple of easy defences?

Would he beat Gerrie Coetzee, Dokes and Page?

If Mike survives the first couple of rounds, he kayoes Gerry from 6-10. If Gerry manages to win, can't see him beating a motivated Page, or Dokes. Possibly Gerrie, but that wouldn't be a given.

[keithmoonhangover]

So instead of fighting Larry Holmes in June '82, he fights Mike Weaver.

How would he do against Weaver?

Would he have a couple of easy defences?

Would he beat Gerrie Coetzee, Dokes and Page?

If Mike survives the first couple of rounds, he kayoes Gerry from 6-10. If Gerry manages to win, can't see him beating a motivated Page, or Dokes. Possibly Gerrie, but that wouldn't be a given.

I wonder how much the Holmes fight took out of Gerry physically and mentally. He wasn't just some bum with light skin, he gave Larry a decent test.

[Boxingguru75]

He could beat all three. Weaver got more dangerous the fight lasts. Coetzee big puncher but would pick Cooney. Dokes would have been the toughest in my opinion.

[Ambling Alp II]

Pretty much agree. Could see him winning or losing any of these. Still can't believe after he fought Holmes, that he never fought guys like or Witherspoon, Thomas, Page etc. Never fought any of them.

[gilgamesh]

I definitely think the Gerry Cooney that fought Holmes could've beaten some of the other titlists of the era.

A fight between him and Berbick is 50/50 to me. Same as a fight between him and Thomas.

I think Spoon probably beats him, but it could be close.

Cooney would've probably beat Mike Weaver, Gerrie Coetzee, Greg Page or Bonecrusher Smith.

He's probably 50/50 with the Tony's.

[Nile4000]

Pretty much agree. Could see him winning or losing any of these. Still can't believe after he fought Holmes, that he never fought guys like or Witherspoon, Thomas, Page etc. Never fought any of them.

There is probably a very good reason he didn't.

[Caractacus]

Cooney's biggest win was the one round KO of Ken Norton.
In-between that fight(May-11-1981) and the fight with Holmes(june-11-1982).
Cooney had been scheduled to fight.

Lee Canalito
Scott LeDoux
Earnie Shavers
Joe Bugner

all those fights fell through for some reason or another
(Cooney injuring his shoulder in training etc)

[Nile4000]

Cooney's biggest win was the one round KO of Ken Norton.
In-between that fight(May-11-1981) and the fight with Holmes(june-11-1982).
Cooney had been scheduled to fight.

Lee Canalito
Scott LeDoux
Earnie Shavers
Joe Bugner

all those fights fell through for some reason or another
(Cooney injuring his shoulder in training etc)

Was Lee Canalito any good?

[tiny_acres]

Cooney's biggest win was the one round KO of Ken Norton.
In-between that fight(May-11-1981) and the fight with Holmes(june-11-1982).
Cooney had been scheduled to fight.

Lee Canalito
Scott LeDoux
Earnie Shavers
Joe Bugner

all those fights fell through for some reason or another
(Cooney injuring his shoulder in training etc)

Was Lee Canalito any good?

He was a lousy actor who appeared in Paradise Alley. I can honestly say he was about as good of a boxer as he was an actor. Never stepped up a level from the time he started until he retired.

[tiny_acres]

Cooney was scheduled to fight Mike Weaver,
(Cooney was the number one WBA contender)
But Weaver's management chose him to defend against the number two contender
James "Quick" Tillis instead.
They(Cooney's managers) offered Tillis "One Million dollars" stepping aside money,
but Tillis fought Weaver anyway and that fight turned out to be very dull from what I remember.

I still do not understand how #2 Tillis got the mandatory over Cooney.
But Cooney could of beat Weaver early.

[gilgamesh]

Cooney's biggest win was the one round KO of Ken Norton.
In-between that fight(May-11-1981) and the fight with Holmes(june-11-1982).
Cooney had been scheduled to fight.

Lee Canalito
Scott LeDoux
Earnie Shavers
Joe Bugner

all those fights fell through for some reason or another
(Cooney injuring his shoulder in training etc)

Was Lee Canalito any good?

He was a lousy actor who appeared in Paradise Alley. I can honestly say he was about as good of a boxer as he was an actor. Never stepped up a level from the time he started until he retired.

Is he the guy that plays the Big Lug Kid Brother?

[tiny_acres]

Was Lee Canalito any good?

He was a lousy actor who appeared in Paradise Alley. I can honestly say he was about as good of a boxer as he was an actor. Never stepped up a level from the time he started until he retired.

Is he the guy that plays the Big Lug Kid Brother?

He played Victor Sylvester Stallones lil brother

[gilgamesh]

He was a lousy actor who appeared in Paradise Alley. I can honestly say he was about as good of a boxer as he was an actor. Never stepped up a level from the time he started until he retired.

Is he the guy that plays the Big Lug Kid Brother?

He played Victor Sylvester Stallones lil brother

Yeah that's the character I was thinking. I knew that guy was a dog sh*t actor

Have only watched that movie once. Terry Funk playing "Frankie the Thumper" is probably the best acting in the movie. I actually didn't realize that was Terry Funk for a little while upon seeing him. Had to see the character multiple times before it hit me that I was looking at Terry Funk.

[tiny_acres]

Is he the guy that plays the Big Lug Kid Brother?

He played Victor Sylvester Stallones lil brother

Yeah that's the character I was thinking. I knew that guy was a dog sh*t actor

Have only watched that movie once. Terry Funk playing "Frankie the Thumper" is probably the best acting in the movie. I actually didn't realize that was Terry Funk for a little while upon seeing him. Had to see the character multiple times before it hit me that I was looking at Terry Funk.

Terry Funk was not terrible as an actor. He was never going to be a leading man but played a tough guy pretty well