Gerry Cooney vs. Frank Bruno

[Russell]

Hmm?

[RoccoMarciano]

I think Bruno had ALS..

[brownpimp88]

both power hitters with weak chins

[Russell]

Bruno's chin wasn't that bad.

[RoccoMarciano]

I think Cooney had ALS :)

[anut]

fuk,,,,,,.....ummmm i would say cooney

[Sardu]

Bruno at least was active during his career. Cooney would usually take several years off due to injuries, personal problems, family problems, etc. If it was the Cooney on or before the Holmes fight I think he takes out Bruno very early. But that is still a question mark because Cooney did not have a reliable chin or recuperative powers. Anyway, I'll go out on a limb and say Cooney.

Cooney KO 2 Bruno

[Woddy]

Bruno at least was active during his career. Cooney would usually take several years off due to injuries, personal problems, family problems, etc. If it was the Cooney on or before the Holmes fight I think he takes out Bruno very early. But that is still a question mark because Cooney did not have a reliable chin or recuperative powers. Anyway, I'll go out on a limb and say Cooney.

Cooney KO 2 Bruno

I don't know,

Tyson, Smith, Witherspoon and Lewis couldn't get him out any earlier than 5 rounds when he was at his best, and all of those guys were probably better fighters than Cooney as well. Gerry lasted 13 rounds with Holmes, but some say Larry was being careful in the first part of the fight. I think Bruno's power and jab could have made him very dangerous for Cooney, but either man could have knocked out the other.

[Sonny's jab]

Interesting fight.

All I can say is that if this is prime for prime, there better be a lot of money AND the world championship at stake, because neither guy had management that would want to take this risk in a non-title.

[Woddy]

Interesting fight.

All I can say is that if this is prime for prime, there better be a lot of money AND the world championship at stake, because neither guy had management that would want to take this risk in a non-title.

Very true. Although I think Frank Bruno took a few bigger risks than Cooney did. But the difference isn't that much.

[TBooze]

both power hitters with weak chins

Bruno had a good to very good chin. Look at the clean right hands Smith laid on him and yet The Bomber was still upright for a long time.

Prime 89 Tyson shock him early, but once Bruno got over that, he took his licking but did not go down, despite some hellacious bombs by Tyson.

Lennox Lewis literally measured a prone Bruno for a clean right and yet Bruno remained upright....

Bruno's problem was he did not have a clue what to do when he was hurt, eventually Francis drilled it in him to cling for dear life late in his career.

Bruno did have stamnia issues in tough fights, but if he was not under pressure (Bugner; Brown) he could get into the later rounds.

I think Bruno's strength would suprise Cooney and Bruno would wear him down, like he did Bugner, to win in about 10.

[CzarKyle]

I'd give this one to Bruno. Cooney wasn't the best to weather a storm. Especially if Bruno could trade effectively with Cooney in the early going. Bruno could withstand the blasts of Tyson (for a bit), I'd say he's almost more than capable of surviving Cooney.

The keys that Cooney would have to follow to win would be:
Keeping distance and staying strict with that plan.
Saving his power for the later rounds till Bruno begins to tire.
Being careful about allowing Bruno to trade.

Cooney wasn't that type of man to follow those keys. He underestimated Old George Foreman and thought he could bomb him out. Yes, that was post-Holmes but you can clearly see that Cooney was this type of fighter before his fight with Larry by attempting to bomb out older fighters like Norton and Lyle (and succeeding).

All in all I'd give Bruno the victory. Quite possibly by KO.

[Russell]

I don't know,

Tyson, Smith, Witherspoon and Lewis couldn't get him out any earlier than 5 rounds when he was at his best, and all of those guys were probably better fighters than Cooney as well. Gerry lasted 13 rounds with Holmes, but some say Larry was being careful in the first part of the fight. I think Bruno's power and jab could have made him very dangerous for Cooney, but either man could have knocked out the other.

The Witherspoon "knockout" was more from sheer exhaustion, wasn't it?

[mr. magoo]

The Witherspoon "knockout" was more from sheer exhaustion, wasn't it?

Not from what I saw ( though it was more of a clip ), Spoon hit Bruno with an overhand right and Frank fell like a sack of potatoes.

[Russell]

Ah, I misheard what happened then.

[mr. magoo]

Ah, I misheard what happened then.

You have heard correctly to some extent. I wouldn't doubt it if Frank was tired after 11 rounds. Afterall, he had never really gone that long in a fight, or at least to my recollection. I did however see a clip of him being nailed by Witherspoon on at least two or three occasions while watching other fights that featured either Tim Witherspoon or Frank Bruno. It was a nasty shot that put Frank down, and one that probably made some of the past Monarchs turn over in their graves.