Gerry Cooney
Gerry Cooney
Gerry Cooneyis a retired American professional heavyweight boxer from Huntington, New York. Despite relative inexperience, his exciting wins and size, aided by expert promotion, propelled Cooney into a lucrative bout with world heavyweight champion Larry Holmes in 1982. Cooney performed credibly before his corner retired him in round 13, and was regarded as having made a brave and determined effort. A view of him as tactically naive in defense was reinforced when former light-heavyweight Michael Spinks defeated Cooney in five...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionBoxer
Date of Birth4 August 1956
CityNew York City, NY
CountryUnited States of America
If you look at my career, towards the end you will see I was fighting like once a year. I was not part of the Don King top heavyweights, so I was kind of kept out. His guys were getting three to four fights a year and I could only get one.
I was a small kid from Huntington, Long Island. I never imagined that anything like that would happen to me.
I was a left hooker, and I loved hooking. I also really liked to jab and mix it up right away.
I lost three times in my career. Losing to Holmes I could deal with, because I lost to a true champion.
I am involved in minor league baseball. I go around the country speaking to troubled youths, trying to help them understand that whatever path they choose, they'll need to really pay attention to it.
By the time you're 30 years old, you can be on a nowhere street, if you're not careful.
I grew up in a big Irish, Catholic family. My dad was a pretty rough guy. So one of my brothers left home when he was 15 and found his way to the gym. It gave me the opportunity to go and spend some time with him and work out in the gym.
The bad press came because they thought I should fight more. I couldn't get the fights because if I would sign to fight one of King's guys I would be signed to him. I chose not to do that. In hindsight, that might have been a mistake.