What do you think of Mike Spinks' win over Gerry Cooney?

[Topdawg]

Boy I just watched that fight again on youtube. I am amazed at how Mike disposed a MUCH bigger Cooney on the 5th round. That guy looks like he is not afraid of big George at all the way that he drives him backward.

I know stylistically they are very different, but how do you think a mentally ready spinks (not the one that froze before the fight began)can do against Mike Tyson, with this fight in mind? I mean arguably Cooney and Tyson are both big bunchers.

[OLD FOGEY]

Boy I just watched that fight again on youtube. I am amazed at how Mike disposed a MUCH bigger Cooney on the 5th round. That guy looks like he is not afraid of big George at all the way that he drives him backward.

I know stylistically they are very different, but how do you think a mentally ready spinks (not the one that froze before the fight began)can do against Mike Tyson, with this fight in mind? I mean arguably Cooney and Tyson are both big bunchers.

So taking too many punches to the head explains George Cooney's weirdo leftist politics. I'm glad he has an excuse.

[Woddy]

Spinks' win over Cooney can't be looked at as a major acheivment or a measure for how he'd do against Tyson regardless of the size difference. In 1987, Cooney had only fought 3 times within a 5 year period and was known to have on and off troubles with drugs and alcohol. Spinks and his promotor Butch Lewis saw an opportunity to get a big pay day against a great white hope, rather than defending against the true #1 mandatory Tony Tucker, so they dumped the IBF title and took it. Cooney couldn't resist the big purse so he showed up and gave what was more or less a half ass effort.

[Topdawg]

Right. But what if the same Spinks of that night come in to fight Tyson? I mean jabbing, moving, and occasionally letting go a flurry and moving again? And of course, the heart that he shows in this fight?

[brownpimp88]

spinks didnt get knocked out against tyson, he just didnt want to continue. Then again he made 20 mil against a fighter he wouldnt beat, why take the risk of getting seriously hurt.

[BUDW]

He fought Danny Ocean also.

[Sonny's jab]

Spinks kicked his great white no-hoper ass.
It was an impressive performance.

Some people picked Cooney to win that one, by KO.

Cooney was garbage but Spinks did what you're supposed to do with garbage - he dumped it.

[TBooze]

I was in the fairly big minority who thought Cooney had a great chance of winning the fight. :oops:

[Sonny's jab]

What I was trying to say is Mike Spinks beat George Clooney up bad.

He beat him OUT OF SIGHT, and really I reckon he could beat him any day of the week, FROM DUSK TIL DAWN.
Spinks on that night was relentless, THE PERFECT STORM.

Spinks was linear champion but since the alphabet belts belonged to Tyson (WBC/WBA) and Tucker (IBF) we really had THREE KINGS at heavyweight.

After less than 5 rounds in the ring with Spinks it was really a case of GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK for Clooney amd he looked about ready to be rushed to E.R.

[Bummy Davis]

Tyson fought him right, He did not give Spinks a chance to get started, Cooney let him settle in get comfy and then come out of his shell punching, Good fight for Spinks

[Sonny's jab]

actually i think his politics are right on point...what..do you like bitch ass bush and what he is doing with his power?

Keep the politics in the lounge please fellas !

[Topdawg]

oopsss. just realized that I got the dude's name all wrong... lol
Maybe I was really thinking of George Cooney...

Anyway, no one is giving Spinks of that night a chance against Tyson at all?

[JohnBKelly]

The Gerry Cooney that crushed Ken Norton and gave Larry Holmes a decent fight could have beaten Spinks but the gut who turned up in 87 fought like a 50 year old who'd been retired for 20 years. That's what drink does for ya.

[OLD FOGEY]

lol..it was in response to old foggys lil joke..see george cooney..actor...who has a lot of left wing views..although really gerry cooney has left wing views as well..as far as pensions for fighters go..mike tyson did support his republican ex brother in law though..LOL

Sorry if anyone was offended--I just meant it as a joke. Anyone, including an actor, who jumps into politics must expect a little flak here and there.

[Woddy]

Anyway, no one is giving Spinks of that night a chance against Tyson at all?

Spinks was great in his prime, especially at lightheavyweight, but he simply was all wrong for Tyson. I don't think he showed up to fight his best against Tyson, but I'm not sure that he would have done much better even if he had. Spinks was a rather slow starter and this is a bad match for a lightheavy going in against a fast starting puncher like Tyson. I guess the Spinks who fought Holmes a few years earlier might have boxed for 3 or 4 rounds against Tyson picking up a few points here and there, but at the end of the day, Spinks isn't surviving long.

[OLD FOGEY]

nahhh i wasnt offended actually...and actually im pretty liberal but cooney does have some views that are a bit left even for me....now that boxer gerry..he is a flat out marxist..

Off his boxing career, Cooney's Marxism seems closer to Groucho than Karl.

[JohnThomas1]

I was in the fairly big minority who thought Cooney had a great chance of winning the fight. :oops:

Actually plenty thought Cooney would win, experts included, so don't feel too bad.

[red cobra]

He beat the crap out of him, and didn't let his opponent's size and vaunted power bother him at all. Spinks done himself proud.

[RoccoMarciano]

Actually plenty thought Cooney would win, experts included, so don't feel too bad.

According to the scores Cooney was doing pretty well until he got starched.

[TBooze]

According to the scores Cooney was doing pretty well until he got starched.

Watch the fight.;)

[Russell]

Watched this fight today, Cooney really didn't look bad at all in round 4.

[TBooze]

Watched this fight today, Cooney really didn't look bad at all in round 4.

But Spinks was pretty much in control from the start...

[Russell]

True.

I just find the claims that Cooney came out and gave the worst performance in boxing history to be garbage.

[TBooze]

True.

I just find the claims that Cooney came out and gave the worst performance in boxing history to be garbage.

Of course; Chuck Gardner (verses Frank Bruno) holds that record.;)

[Mendoza]

Boy I just watched that fight again on youtube. I am amazed at how Mike disposed a MUCH bigger Cooney on the 5th round. That guy looks like he is not afraid of big George at all the way that he drives him backward.

I know stylistically they are very different, but how do you think a mentally ready spinks (not the one that froze before the fight began)can do against Mike Tyson, with this fight in mind? I mean arguably Cooney and Tyson are both big bunchers.

It was a very good performance by Spinks. Cooney had seen better days. He was in-active and lost focus. Spinks senses that Cooney lost his edge and took the action right to him,

[Bigcat]

Gerry Cooney was a hard puncher and Mike a fast puncher, for Gerry to be able to hit Mike he had to pin him down, I found it odd that it was Spinks after taking Cooneys legs in a fast paced 4 rounds, became the predator and smashed a stationary GC to pieces in a cluster of fast furious flurries .. Spinks was an excellent heavyweight.. I remember the one thing Spinks said while being interviewed after the fight.. He said Cooney never really hurt him , just dazed him a little, but he made it clear he demanded respect ...

He said " Michael Spinks .. Is one to be respected.." I love that fight..

[RoccoMarciano]

Watch the fight.;)

Why? Neither amount to much at HW :lol:

[TBooze]

Why? Neither amount to much at HW :lol:

No; Both of them had a big impact; Spinks was THE Heavyweight Champion of the World for three years. Cooney was involved in probably the biggest Heavyweight fight between 1974 and 1988....

[JohnThomas1]

No; Both of them had a big impact; Spinks was THE Heavyweight Champion of the World for three years. Cooney was involved in probably the biggest Heavyweight fight between 1974 and 1988....

Spinks was THE heavyweight champ for 3 years because he never fought no prick after the Holmes rematch.

[Titan1]

It was a good win, but Gerry had only fought like 2 times in the past 4 or 5 years. Let Michael beat someone like a Tony Tucker (who may have cleaned his clock ), and then were talking.

[TBooze]

Spinks was THE heavyweight champ for 3 years because he never fought no prick after the Holmes rematch.

There you go once again, with the Stefan Tangstead bashing.;)

[JohnThomas1]

There you go once again, with the Stefan Tangstead bashing.;)

I'm.......................................speechless for once


:lol:

[Danny Ocean]

:rofl He fought Danny Ocean also.

[Bill1234]

I think people give Michael too much credit. Gerry by this point was pretty much washed up as a fighter (he was even worse in 1990 against Big George).

[RoccoMarciano]

I'm.......................................speechless for once


:lol:

One look at your new avatar did that for me :lol:

[RoccoMarciano]

rocco you talk all this shit like your the boxing god or something....get off marcianos decomposed dick and watch some more boxing.

I used to watch Dempsey film a bit... then I realised how overrated he really is . Needless to say, I've not watched any Dempsey film to any great length since.

[mike4819]

Gerry should never even taken the fight. He was an emotional wreck after the Holmes fight and never really recovered. His managers ruined him. He needed a good 5 or 6 fights before he even tried Holmes. They just wanted the big white hope payday. A shame, he was awkard but did have some talent.

[janitor]

I think people give Michael too much credit. Gerry by this point was pretty much washed up as a fighter (he was even worse in 1990 against Big George).

Larry Holmes thought he would win.

He could never really understand why Cooney was not more sucesfull after their fight.

Truth be told I wish Spinks had fought more of the top heavyweights of that era. Could have made for some great fights.

[Dempsey1238]

Some fighters can come back from a lost like that, others cant. For evey Joe Louis that came back from a lost, there is a Cooney or Rex Layne that went into the side lines after a brutal lost.

[brownpimp88]

Larry Holmes thought he would win.

He could never really understand why Cooney was not more sucesfull after their fight.

Truth be told I wish Spinks had fought more of the top heavyweights of that era. Could have made for some great fights.
How do you think he would do against tucker, witherspoon, greg page and michael dokes.

Dont you feel that there was so many fights spinks could have taken to make a bigger legacy. I think he had the talents of a top 20 p4p great, too bad he didnt become one.

[Titan1]

Larry Holmes thought he would win.

He could never really understand why Cooney was not more sucesfull after their fight.

Truth be told I wish Spinks had fought more of the top heavyweights of that era. Could have made for some great fights.

I think Cooney was like Page in the fact that they were nice guys who had overbearing fathers, and probably deep down, weren't really into fighting. If things were right, Cooney should've been a champ, but unfortunately it didn't happen, but at least he started F.I.S.T.

[mr. magoo]

How do you think he would do against tucker, witherspoon, greg page and michael dokes.

Dont you feel that there was so many fights spinks could have taken to make a bigger legacy. I think he had the talents of a top 20 p4p great, too bad he didnt become one.

Spinks wasn't interested in proving himself to be the best heavyweight in the world. He was only interested in the biggest of paying fights. The Cooney fight was both safer and more lucrative than fighting any of the guys you mentioned. The Tyson fight was a necessary evil, but came with great reward as Spinks walked away with more money from one fight than most ever walk away with in a whole career. Spinks and his promotor Butch Lewis played it smart. Their decsions didn't exactly make for Spinks having a great heavyweight legacy, but they kept him in good health and in good wealth. His greatness was already pretty much cemented when you combine his winning the gold metal in montreal with dominating the lightheavyweight division and becomming the first lightheavyweight champ to win the heavy title. There really wasn't any reason for him to wrisk hurting himself.