BoxRec

Was the kevin Rooney that trained Tyson the same that was KO'ed against Arguello in 82. I see he was trained by D'mato. And on the subjest I haven't seen him in some time. Not since Omar Sheika I believe. I would have thought after Tyson he would have been in higher demand.

Thanks. I figured the D'mato connection was more than coincidence but he's a little hard to imagine at 140.

I believe Rooney also trained Vinny Pazienza for a while as well, but for the last 10 years or so Rooney has not been in such demand, supposedly because he hits the bottle too hard and too often.
I know of at least one fighter who met up with Rooney with the intention of possibly hiring him as his trainer, but when Kevin showed up late and drunk all bets were off. Not very professional.

-KOKid-

-KOKid- wrote:I believe Rooney also trained Vinny Pazienza for a while as well, but for the last 10 years or so Rooney has not been in such demand, supposedly because he hits the bottle too hard and too often.
I know of at least one fighter who met up with Rooney with the intention of possibly hiring him as his trainer, but when Kevin showed up late and drunk all bets were off. Not very professional.

-KOKid-

No surprise to me that he hit the bottle. Rooney and Tyson were a great team in the mid/late 80's, easy to see now that he needed Tyson as much as Tyson needed him. He has to live with having lost his fighter to a crook and a gold-digger who both proceeded to destroy him. Tyson's prime would have lasted longer if he stayed with Rooney, without a doubt, but we'll never know how good he would have been. Enough to make ME want to hit the bottle.

witherspoon wrote:

-KOKid- wrote:I believe Rooney also trained Vinny Pazienza for a while as well, but for the last 10 years or so Rooney has not been in such demand, supposedly because he hits the bottle too hard and too often.
I know of at least one fighter who met up with Rooney with the intention of possibly hiring him as his trainer, but when Kevin showed up late and drunk all bets were off. Not very professional.

-KOKid-

No surprise to me that he hit the bottle. Rooney and Tyson were a great team in the mid/late 80's, easy to see now that he needed Tyson as much as Tyson needed him. He has to live with having lost his fighter to a crook and a gold-digger who both proceeded to destroy him. Tyson's prime would have lasted longer if he stayed with Rooney, without a doubt, but we'll never know how good he would have been. Enough to make ME want to hit the bottle.

Will Tyson and Rooney ever be on talking terms?

I read that Cus didn't want Rooney to take this fight as he felt Rooney would be dead at the weight (140lbs) and should stay at Welterweight. Regardless Rooney went ahead with the fight as he thought a win would shoot him into the big time and the money and fame that goes with it.

However Rooney had to spend many hours in a steam bath to make the weight so I imagine was very weight drained come fight time.

I few months later in his next fight Rooney weighed 151lbs.

I think another reason that Rooney doesn't work much any mor is that, other than Tyson, the "Cus Method" doesn't work all that well. Ask Ricky Meyers, Jason Williams, Paz (who apparently ignored Rooney as he fights like he always has). You can also use the name Teddy Atlas in the above; same difference.

the "Cus Method" doesn't work all that well.

How stupid is that statement.? The Cus method works fine, with the right type fighter. Fighters are not cookie cutters, they all have differences. What works for one will not work for another. Maybe the problem is the rigidity of the methods of certain trainers, and their caustic personalities.