They billed Foreman vs. Cooney as “The Preacher and The Puncher,” but it quickly became known as “The Geezers at Caesars,” this unique battle between two aging heavyweights seeking respect. Gerry Cooney had lost his in the eight years following one of the biggest fights in boxing history and the first loss of his career, a 13th-round TKO loss to champion Larry Holmes. After that setback, his career had waned, a result of him choosing to spend more time in nightclubs than the gym, pulling out of several fights at the last minute, and wasting his talents as one of the hardest-hitting heavyweights since Well, George Foreman. In 1987 he lost by knockout in the fifth round to Michael Spinks and had not been heard from since.
Big George, former world champion dethroned by Muhammad Ali in 1974, had retired from boxing in 1977 after a decision loss to Jimmy Young and a spiritual crisis in his dressing room immediately after the fight. While in the shower, he suddenly found himself in a dark pit of death and despair and begged God to help him. He later retired, became a born-again Christian, and spent the better part of a decade working as a pastor at his church in Houston, Texas.
In 1987, to everyone’s bewilderment, Foreman returned to the ring, apparently to raise money for the George Foreman Youth Center in Houston. No one took his return seriously. At 38 he looked like a cartoon, with his enormous belly protruding above the high waist of his boxing suit. But George paid no attention to the naysayers and set about scoring knockout after knockout over various club fighters and fringe contenders. The fight with Cooney, the twentieth in his unlikely comeback, was seen as Big George’s first real test, a fight to determine whether the new George Foreman and his return could be seen as more than a generating sideshow. shame.
They call it a crossroads fight because the stakes are so high. Both Cooney and Foreman knew that a loss would likely mean the end of their respective careers and both prepared accordingly. Cooney hired veteran boxing trainer and manager Gil Clancy (briefly Foreman’s trainer in the ’70s) to anchor his corner, while Foreman had the legendary Archie Moore in his. And if writers and pundits dismissed Foreman vs. Cooney as a joke, audiences knew a potentially explosive heavyweight showdown when they saw one and quickly sold out Caesars in Atlantic City. And shortly after the bell rang for the first round, as many expected, the fireworks soon began.
Foreman, advancing steadily, intended to accompany Cooney and corner him, while “Gentleman Gerry” boxed intelligently, throwing punches and dodging George’s advances. The busier Cooney had the advantage in most of the exchanges in the first round and just before the end of the round he staggered Big George with a short inside left hook. First round of “The Puncher”.
But the second round was a very different story. It seemed that Cooney lacked the stamina to maintain his strategy of staying one step ahead of Big George. Under constant pressure, he relented and tried to stand his ground with “The Preacher.” By the time he did it, the fight was Foreman’s and the former champion wasted no time landing heavy blows to both the body and head. A hay hook froze Cooney and George’s next volley dropped him. Hard. Gerry bravely stood up only for Foreman to casually walk up and land a devastating left hook that brought him to his feet. Foreman landed a next right hand, Gerry fell and the referee didn’t bother to count. Cooney lay on the mat for more than a minute.
The aftermath of the fight proved that it was a true crossroads: “The Puncher” never fought again, while “The Preacher” surprised everyone as he completely transformed his image and personality. The following year, Foreman gave Evander Holyfield one of his toughest battles, and then in 1994, to everyone’s amazement, the 45-year-old warrior regained the world heavyweight championship with a one-punch knockout of Michael Moorer. .
-Michael Carbert
