BoxRec

This fight very nearly happened around early 1986 Gerry Cooneys manager Dennis Rappaport offered Trevor Berbick a large amount of money to drop out of the HBO Heavyweight tournament to fight Gerry Cooney.

Berbick asked for more money and the deal fell apart but what if it had not?

Post Holmes Cooneys mind was a mess, if that version of Cooney had stepped into the ring with the rough, tough and awkward Berbick I think Berbick would have given him a bit of a beating.

'IF' however Gerrie Cooney somehow managed to get his mind and body right I think he would have outpointed Berbick.

This one all depends of big Gerries state of mind

But what do you think fight fans?

Cooney wasnt Tyson & Berbick wasnt Eddie Gregg.

Cooney got his title shot & was bludgeoned by Michael Spinks.

Berbicks way bigger & more powerful than Spinks, has a very awkward & frustrating defence just like Spinks, and would be there to impose his brawn & aggression on the frail Great White Joke.

Berbick was coming off a win over Pinklon Thomas, who was a million miles ahead of the dead bodies Cooney compiled his win record against. All i can see when i try picture this fight is a look of fear in Cooneys eyes as Berbick repeatedly clubs him into oblivion where he belongs.

Berbick KO4 Cooney.

Berbick claimed the lose to Tyson was due to the air conditionig in his hotel room being poisoned.

Cooney put up a brave display against against Holmes which is why I doubt Berbick would just 'blow him away'.

I think Berbick would be too strong and durable for Cooney... he'd bull his way to the inside and wear Cooney down for a late stoppage or ko win!

KOJOE90 wrote: Cooney put up a brave display against against Holmes which is why I doubt Berbick would just 'blow him away'.

...4 years earlier he did ('82)...a year later ('87) he was stopped by Spinks early...

I think Cooney had the 'enthusiasm for boxing' beat out of him by Holmes...lose that, you lost it all...

Berbick was not a hard puncher so he wouldnt KO Cooney. Cooney was knocked out by Spinks when he was still a recovering alcholic and suffering from severe depression.

Berbick usually slapped with his punches but he wouldnt get on the inside of Cooney as Cooney would outwork him on the inside using his left hook to the head and body like he did Ron Lyle.

Cooney KO 8.

Althoguh I say this about Berbick, he had a concrete chin but I dont think he can take too many of those hooks from Cooney.

Sweet Scientist wrote:

KOJOE90 wrote: Cooney put up a brave display against against Holmes which is why I doubt Berbick would just 'blow him away'.

...4 years earlier he did ('82)...a year later ('87) he was stopped by Spinks early...

I think Cooney had the 'enthusiasm for boxing' beat out of him by Holmes...lose that, you lost it all...

I think you've nailed it. The '82 Cooney would have made a hell of a fight for Berbick--though I'd probably still slightly favor Berbick--but by '86 (or the end of '82, really) Cooney was pretty much just going through the motions with no real confidence. As the original poster said, it's all about Cooney's state of mind, but I don't think his state of mind was ever right to be a serious contender after the Holmes fight.

Berbick ko 9 Cooney

Sweet Scientist wrote:

KOJOE90 wrote: Cooney put up a brave display against against Holmes which is why I doubt Berbick would just 'blow him away'.

...4 years earlier he did ('82)...a year later ('87) he was stopped by Spinks early...

I think Cooney had the 'enthusiasm for boxing' beat out of him by Holmes...lose that, you lost it all...

Fair point.

Cooney destroys Berbick. Berbick when he was considered pretty good wasn't really good.....

Oh please. Berbick beat solid, young, PRIME heavies and world champs like Pinklon Thomas, Mitch Blood Green, Greg Page, John Tate etc.

He also went 15 competitive rds with Holmes & kept trying whereas Cooney got bludgeoned.

What the hell on Cooneys record competes with Berbicks world title and big wins? His blow outs of two 40 yr olds in Norton & Lyle? His knockout loss to light heavy Spinks?

Assuming we're judging Best v Best, Berbick is way too game, too powerful, too mentally strong, too aggressive for Cooney to handle.

It depends- will it be the Berbick that stood still and let cruiser ST Gordon pepper him for 10 rounds, or the more determined and effective version? I think that in either case the result would depernd on the result of the first left hook Cooney lands clean; if Berbick takes it well he'd win in 8-9 rounds. If it hurts him Cooney gets him shortly thereafter. I'm not real impressed by the "mental toughness" of either of these two.

tiredoldngrey wrote:It depends- will it be the Berbick that stood still and let cruiser ST Gordon pepper him for 10 rounds, or the more determined and effective version? .

The ST Gordon fight was a strange one, Berbick letting a tough but less than spectacular Cruiserweight outpoint him like that.