gerrie coetzee vs gerry cooney

[good right hand]

i remember when the dream matchup between larry holmes and gerrie coetzee was put off due to problems.

there was another brave fighter who took it to holmes in a better fight then most expected in gerry cooney.

if coetzee had any chance against the great holmes, could he have beaten one of the hardest punchers in heavyweight history in gerry cooney?

[My2Sense]

I suppose it really comes down to "who lands first".

But I'd favor Coetzee here. First off, I think Cooney would be open to his right hand (as he often was). Second, Coetzee had a very good, probably underrated chin, whereas Cooney's was a little "iffy". Most of all, Coetzee has actually beaten a live body or two in his career, whereas Cooney's only noteworthy wins were clearly hand-picked faded/shot contenders.

[redrooster]

Cooney shatters the sloth like Coetzee with debilitating hooks. Too slow to get out of the way.

[Bummy Davis]

Coetzee was more solid overall but Cooney had the better skills...could Cooney survive the right hand of Coetzee and stay upright, I dont know if he was durable enough but Coetzee had a weak corner and was limited in his defense but not his power,if Cooney could hit you, he could hurt you... Can Cooney keep him on the outside...can Coetzee get in the right hand with out feeling the hook.....this one is a toss up but would be a exciting brawl and KO

[mr. magoo]

Cooney may not have been the most durable fighter in the world, but I don't see Coetzee being able to capitalize on his weaknesses early either. Coetzee had a problem with stamina late in fights from what I'm told, and Cooney hung there taking a pretty big beating from Holmes. He also had a very good left jab, hook to the body and servicable right. Coetzee would be a danger all right, but I'd favor Cooney.

[Coetzeefan101]

Coetzee would box Cooney's ears off and finishes him in the 10th. I am confident that Coetzee would be able to stand up to Cooney's shots early on seeing as it took Mike Weaver 13 rounds of repeated bombs to finally to put Coetzee down.

Coetzee was always dangerous in the early rounds while Cooney was a somewhat of a more slower starter.

[JohnThomas1]

Coetzee would box Cooney's ears off and finishes him in the 10th. I am confident that Coetzee would be able to stand up to Cooney's shots early on seeing as it took Mike Weaver 13 rounds of repeated bombs to finally to put Coetzee down.

Coetzee was always dangerous in the early rounds while Cooney was a somewhat of a more slower starter.

A couple of questions

1. Cooney's entire career is littered with 1 round ko's and numerous other very early ko's. How on earth does that equal a slow starter :patsch

2. Whose ears did Coetzee ever box off excepting a coke high Dokes?

2. How is Gerrie going to box Cooney's ears off given Cooney's far superior jab.

[Titan1]

i remember when the dream matchup between larry holmes and gerrie coetzee was put off due to problems.

there was another brave fighter who took it to holmes in a better fight then most expected in gerry cooney.

if coetzee had any chance against the great holmes, could he have beaten one of the hardest punchers in heavyweight history in gerry cooney?

Gerrie definitely had a high shot of beating Cooney, he was at least competitive in his fights with other heavies of the era, but if Gerry caught Gerrie early, it's over.

[Coetzeefan101]

A couple of questions

1. Cooney's entire career is littered with 1 round ko's and numerous other very early ko's. How on earth does that equal a slow starter :patsch

2. Whose ears did Coetzee ever box off excepting a coke high Dokes?

2. How is Gerrie going to box Cooney's ears off given Cooney's far superior jab.


1. I didnt say Cooney was a slow starter, I said he was a slower starter in comparison to Coetzee. Cooney's best chance is to pick up the pace late in the fight late where Coetzee is at his most weakest. A bit like Tate, Weaver and Snipes did.

2. Coetzee had underated boxing skills and gave Dokes a one sided beat down, the same Dokes who gave a prime Holyfield all he can handle. Id say he won comfortable decisions over Thomas and Snipes although as we know the results dont bid that out.

3. Cooney's jab was virtually non exsistent, he had a vicious left hook but thats about it. And given that Coetzee had a terrific chin Im confident that he would be able to take Cooney's best shots. Cooney however is not known for taking a good punch and Coetzee would score a 10th round KO

[JohnThomas1]

1. I didnt say Cooney was a slow starter, I said he was a slower starter in comparison to Coetzee.

Well Cooney's early KO rate surpasses Coetzee's so i don't see how you come to that conclusion. Given his big rate of first round ko's it's pretty safe to assume Cooney starts pretty hard in the first round. It doesn't get much faster. How fast would you say Coetzee started against better opponents like Weaver, Page and Tate?

Cooney's best chance is to pick up the pace late in the fight late where Coetzee is at his most weakest. A bit like Tate, Weaver and Snipes did.

When you have frightening KO power like Cooney your chances of doing big early damage are pretty good. Allied to this Coetzee could be ko'ed and his defense was quite average.

2. Coetzee had underated boxing skills and gave Dokes a one sided beat down, the same Dokes who gave a prime Holyfield all he can handle.

I'll contend Coetzee beat a much lesser version of Dokes. It's VERY likely he entered the ring high on cocaine as has been oft reported and did not put forth anything like his best effort. Gerrie was working with a new trainer and did indeed box his best ever this night, but just how bad was Dokes? In his next fight against Greg Page (inspired version for once) his supposedly new found jab, hook and boxing skills disappeared completely. It leads me to think Dokes on the night really was that bad.

Id say he won comfortable decisions over Thomas and Snipes although as we know the results dont bid that out.


I readily agree per Snipes but no way Jose did Gerrie beat Thomas, let alone comfortably. You have to be kidding. A draw was the perfect outcome. Basically one half of the fight each.

3. Cooney's jab was virtually non exsistent, he had a vicious left hook but thats about it.

Have you seen Cooney fight? Tho not exactly Holmes frequent his jab was long straight and piledriving. Coetzee excepting basically one suspect fight had not much more than a huge right hand. He also suffered from severe lack of confidence when fighting more highly considered American fighters until the Dokes fight. Again, just what Dokes did he really face.

And given that Coetzee had a terrific chin Im confident that he would be able to take Cooney's best shots.

Totally disagree. Cooney was a huge puncher and definitely had the power to take out Coetzee as Weaver and Page did. Gerrie's chin is good but not terrific.

Cooney however is not known for taking a good punch and Coetzee would score a 10th round KO

I don't think there's much difference in the chins. Also, Gerrie didn't often gather late ko's, his stamina wasn't the best. You yourself said he wasn't at his best later, yet pick him via this route by KO.

IMO this ones a lottery. Both big hitters with plenty of holes in their game, mentally as well as technically. A really hard one to pick. Cooney's left vs Coetzee's right.

It would have been a great little slugfest.

[BIG DEE]

BIG DEE HERE= Cooney but both men in their prims Coetzee would KO Cooney as Coetzee in his prime

[BIG DEE]

BIG DEE HERE= Sorry computer screw up, Coetzee in his prime had a chin that was only
bettered by Tex Cobb as he could really take it and keep coming. Cooney on the other hand couldn`t take it as he was KOed by Spinks who couldn`t break an egg as a heavyweight. Coetzee was KOed by Iran Barkley but he was 42 yrs old and had come back after almost 10 yrs retirement. COETZEE KO IN 6 RDS VIA RIGHT HAND TO THE CHIN.

[JohnThomas1]

BIG DEE HERE= Sorry computer screw up, Coetzee in his prime had a chin that was only
bettered by Tex Cobb as he could really take it and keep coming. Cooney on the other hand couldn`t take it as he was KOed by Spinks who couldn`t break an egg as a heavyweight. Coetzee was KOed by Iran Barkley but he was 42 yrs old and had come back after almost 10 yrs retirement. COETZEE KO IN 6 RDS VIA RIGHT HAND TO THE CHIN.

You are seriously going to hold up the version of Cooney that got ko'ed by Spinks as creditable in this scenario of prime vs prime?

Coetzee's chin in his prime was bettered at the very least by Holmes and Page as well. I'd put in Witherspoon, prolly Thomas and could find others too. Page soaked up Coetzee more vaunted (but watch the fight to see Pages was just as BIG) right hand many times in their fight but Coetzee was the one left unconscious for a scary amount of time at the end. Holmes could be dropped but his overall durability easily surpassed Gerrie's.

[mr. magoo]

3. Cooney's jab was virtually non exsistent,


Perhaps you're talking about George Clooney and not Gerry Cooney?


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[JohnThomas1]

Perhaps you're talking about George Clooney and not Gerry Cooney?


[Only registered and activated users can see links]

:lol:

[mr. magoo]

:lol:


Sorry, I couldn't restrain myself mate. :good

[JohnThomas1]

Sorry, I couldn't restrain myself mate. :good

Hey, it's the festive season - time for laffs and fun

:party

[red cobra]

I was always more impressed by Coetzee than Cooney as a total package, especially in the more efficient way he delivered his payload punches. I think he could take it, for a while, anyway, better than Cooney. I believe the right would land before the left, with Coetzee winning by ko in 2 or 3.

[BIG DEE]

BIG DEE HERE= One, Cooney wasn`t 42 yrs old like Coetzee as Cooney was only 30 yrs old two months short of 31 and he hadn`t been retired for 10 yrs. Weaver had to hammer Coetzee into the canvas over a 13 rds of a stinking war. Cooney never fought anyone like Coetzee did as he fought his way to a title shot unlike Cooney who fought
dead bodies to get his shot. Coetzee fought the guys that the great Larry Holmes ducked and you can say what the hell you want but I was there in that time period.
Hell I even trained in the same gym as Weaver in Long Beach, Ca.

[JohnThomas1]

BIG DEE HERE= One, Cooney wasn`t 42 yrs old like Coetzee as Cooney was only 30 yrs old two months short of 31 and he hadn`t been retired for 10 yrs. Weaver had to hammer Coetzee into the canvas over a 13 rds of a stinking war. Cooney never fought anyone like Coetzee did as he fought his way to a title shot unlike Cooney who fought
dead bodies to get his shot. Coetzee fought the guys that the great Larry Holmes ducked and you can say what the hell you want but I was there in that time period.
Hell I even trained in the same gym as Weaver in Long Beach, Ca.

DEE, Cooney had fought 86 seconds in 2 1/2 years and just 6 rounds in the 2 1/2 prior to that again. It's well known he was heavily into drugs and booze post Holmes and quite fukked up. You can't seriously hold that version of Cooney up as valid prime or even for comparison purposes.

You do know Coetzee was just 30 (same age as Cooney vs Spinks almost to a day) when Bruno brutally ko'ed hiim in a single round? He beat Tillis solidly the fight before. Looking at the Bruno KO perhaps we might assume Cooney would have a good chance doing the same given his even more extreme power?

Weaver - Coetzee was indeed a great fight and great effort.

Agreed Coetzee's opposition is much above Cooney's. Tho he lost to some it is the one area that can be held up as decent support for him beating Cooney.

Coetzee did indeed fight two people Holmes skirted, Page and Thomas. Admittedly Thomas wasn't quite at the stage of being talked of as a challenge for Larry, but heck, the Coetzee draw put him FULLY into the picture and he had a great little run thereafter.

Feel free to tell us about training in the same gym as Weaver, that's awesome mate. Such insights are always very appreciated by us guys over here. It doesn't come much better.