BoxRec

What would have happened if Cooney had stayed a lefty? I find the question problematic as I can't see him beating Holmes even if he had stayed righty and he had creamed everybody up until then, on the other hand turning righty had left him a one armed fighter. Would it have made a difference in his post-Holmes career? Or am I wrong about him vs Holmes? BTW I think the justification for him turning righty, that no one likes fighting lefties was nonsense. Were fighters really going to turn bouts with him down? I don't think so.

You what?

Post Holmes nothing was going to help.He was into drinking and drugs and never regained his confidence.

if only Cooney could trade time frame with Klitschkos.

Well the right hand was certainly a more useful tool against Holmes than the left.

I liked Cooney. His career was entertaining, always came to fight. You dont have to be a world champion to earn respect, the fight game is about entertainment, putting bums on seats, generating excitement-and Cooney like other non champions in Norton, Shavers, Quarry bought that with him.

Broomhall wrote:I liked Cooney. His career was entertaining, always came to fight. You dont have to be a world champion to earn respect, the fight game is about entertainment, putting bums on seats, generating excitement-and Cooney like other non champions in Norton, Shavers, Quarry bought that with him.

Ken Norton was the WBC Heavyweight Champion in 1978.
BTW was Gerry Cooney naturally Left-Handed?

Caractacus wrote:

Broomhall wrote:I liked Cooney. His career was entertaining, always came to fight. You dont have to be a world champion to earn respect, the fight game is about entertainment, putting bums on seats, generating excitement-and Cooney like other non champions in Norton, Shavers, Quarry bought that with him.

Ken Norton was the WBC Heavyweight Champion in 1978.
BTW was Gerry Cooney naturally Left-Handed?

Nah. He just through a very good left from the orthodox stance

Cooney was a converted lefty, that's the reason I asked the question.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZD9nRC3Jt4

This is from Cooneys amateur days and shows him fighting as an orthodox boxer. I dont know if he was left handed bun if he was it would seem he made the decision to convert very early in his boxing career. I think it would be unusual for a young amateur to make this decision=most kids I can think of just boxed the way they felt was natural to them. Maybe some old fashioned coaches might have tried to turn them round but in the amateurs statistics indicate boxing as a southpaw is a clear advantage so I dont know why you would convert someone.

Sir,where is your evidence that Gerry Cooney had ever once fought as a lefty?

Here is a clip to an even younger Gerry Cooney(age 16) from March.16. 1973
defeating Larry Derrick for the sub-novice NYC Golden Gloves championship at Madison Square Garden NYC.
(Notice Cooney fighting orthodox even back then)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iog6e9DsSfM

It was well known that Cooney was a natural lefty. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerry_Cooney

More; http://coxscorner.tripod.com/southpaws.html

Cooney may have been naturally left handed,but did he ever fight left handed in gloves?
How could he have stayed a southpaw if he never fought as one?
or did he?maybe he did at the very start of his amateur career?
Jim J. Jeffries was naturaly left handed,but in his very first fight for money(Hank Griffin),he assumed an orthodox stance.
Jeffries was never a "converted southpaw"because
he had never fought southpaw during his entire boxing career since before his first fight.

I remember there was an even earlier amateur bout of Cooney's on youtube,when he fought at MSG as a middleweight,
I cant remember his stance but I do remember that his opponent was a really sore loser.
Anyone got the link to that video clip?

Caractacus wrote:Cooney may have been naturally left handed,but did he ever fight left handed in gloves?
How could he have stayed a southpaw if he never fought as one?
or did he?maybe he did at the very start of his amateur career?
Jim J. Jeffries was naturaly left handed,but in his very first fight for money(Hank Griffin),he assumed an orthodox stance.
Jeffries was never a "converted southpaw"because
he had never fought southpaw during his entire boxing career since before his first fight.

I remember there was an even earlier amateur bout of Cooney's on youtube,when he fought at MSG as a middleweight,
I cant remember his stance but I do remember that his opponent was a really sore loser.
Anyone got the link to that video clip?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iog6e9DsSfM

1973 as an amateur.He fought orthodox.But I do know that Cooney is left handed I had him sign a fight program for me
a million years ago.But I do not think he ever boxed as a southpaw.

Yeah,I think I misunderstood Tagjohnson's comment.
I mean does Cooney now spread his butter on his toast in the morning
with his right hand?
I use to be a lefty when I was still four,but when I started school they had me turn righty.
Even tho my left side is still physically my strongest side.

tiny_acres wrote:

Caractacus wrote:Cooney may have been naturally left handed,but did he ever fight left handed in gloves?
How could he have stayed a southpaw if he never fought as one?
or did he?maybe he did at the very start of his amateur career?
Jim J. Jeffries was naturaly left handed,but in his very first fight for money(Hank Griffin),he assumed an orthodox stance.
Jeffries was never a "converted southpaw"because
he had never fought southpaw during his entire boxing career since before his first fight.

I remember there was an even earlier amateur bout of Cooney's on youtube,when he fought at MSG as a middleweight,
I cant remember his stance but I do remember that his opponent was a really sore loser.
Anyone got the link to that video clip?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iog6e9DsSfM

1973 as an amateur.He fought orthodox.But I do know that Cooney is left handed I had him sign a fight program for me
a million years ago.But I do not think he ever boxed as a southpaw.

There still is an earlier amateur clip of Cooney out there somewhere.