BoxRec

I think Vitali stops prime Cooney around round 9.

If Cooney can catch Wlad clean, then he's in Barney Rubble, but I don't see that happening now.

I can see Cooney catching Wlad quite often, Cooney could really put his shots together...even the 33 drug and alcohol and trauma ravaged Cooney managed to put some blistering combos in on old man Foreman. Obviously Wlad is a far younger and less stationary target but the quality of the shots Cooney fired in, are totally lacking in todays HW division apart from Vitali and Wlad.

...and I see Cooney busting Wlads ribs when Wlad tries to hold and lean on him....

Speaking of prime Cooney how do people here see him faring with a HW James Toney circa 2005??

Cooney wins a close bout over that Toney in a Sam Peter-looking bout in terms of flow. By 2005 Toney's reflexes were being tolled upon by his age and weight and Cooney would've been able to just throw and throw and outwork him as he leans all over him despite having his face look like a mess at the end of the fight from Toney's clean but inconsistently thrown counters.

That's a fairly vivid picture Diamond and one I can see. I would love see the body punches these two would throw against each other. The 82 Cooney was determined and i see him winning on distance. The 87 Cooney i see being pummeled out of it

I really think Cooney is underestimated and was off far too long before he fought Holmes. Having said that I think he stands zero chance versus Vitali and only a modest one against Wlad. Vitali is very busy and they both go twelve easy. No one here is Morrison (3 rounds and exhausted). Vitali is an all time great....just took me his entire career to realize it.

Yes when looked at from a certain viewpoint there is strong merit in what u say dan.

Yes despite his muscalature Vitali looks clumsy and robotic, yes he looks slow and unathletic (in terms of slow feet, lack of hand speed) and he has his hands down, but people are finding him very hard to tag his hands are right down and they can't do anything. Yes he fights cautious but he usually eventually beatsdown his man.

But than another viewpoint is u look at the people hes doing the cautious beatdowns on...the worst crop of american HW's probably ever..and the fact he struggled with a late 30s Lewis and Byrd..and Im sorry to retread old ground here but than you think what some of this lost generation of 80s HW's might have done motivated on their best night against such a man, let alone a Norton, Marciano,or Holmes.

I don't think Cooney beats either of them frankly. Unless he's facing a pre-steward version of Wlad and can pummel him with the left early.

My thoughts have changed since this was first posted. Still think Vitali beats Cooney, but now would make Wlad a slight favorite as well. Since then I've seen more footage of Cooney's early fights and the guy was the epitome of the front-runner. Wlad stays more cool under pressure than Cooney and that's saying something.

Let's not forget Cooney comes from the era where great white hopes didn't win and generally were considers second rate. Suddenly with some revisionist history Cooney is being put forward as better than the Klitschkos. Sure he was! Lol

Cooney would have had a punchers chance against Wlad, losing 9 of 10, and no chance against Vitali.