Gerry Cooney On the Legendary Fight Against Larry Holmes 7,499 views Jul 16, 2019 Gerry Cooney about his book and about his upbringing and what it was like fighting in one of the biggest. Moreso, Gerry was raised Catholic in a family of Irish descent. [11], Although Cooney had only fought three official bouts in five years following his loss to Holmes, in 1987 he challenged former world heavyweight and world light heavyweight champion Michael Spinks in a title bout. Cooney's last fight was in 1990. Also View Joe Calzaghes Net Worth, Bio, Career, and More. [citation needed] His brother Tommy Cooney was also a boxer, and reached the finals of the New York Golden Gloves Sub-Novice Heavyweight division. Jennifer and Gerry Cooney reside in Fanwood, New Jersey. October 27, 2015 - 14:35 GMT However, in 1975 he was defeated by Johnny Davis after reaching the finals of the 175-lb Open division. Bei kommerzieller Verwendung sowie fr verkaufsfrdernde Zwecke kontaktieren Sie bitte Ihr. "I have this want-to-be-liked thing, but deep down I had this rage," Cooney says now. In fact, it was their common interest in human rights that drew the actor to Alamuddin, since Clooney is an avid human rights activist himself. They all said no. He is 65 years old. Gerry Cooney tried to believe his own rationalizations about his stern but loving father. . Gerry Cooney, best known for being a Boxer, was born in New York City, New York, USA on Saturday, August 4, 1956. I was knocking guys out. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. After the show ended, Clooney was everywhere in Hollywood. In addition to winning the New York Golden Gloves championships, Gerry Cooney also won amateur international competitions in Scotland, England, and Wales. Gerry Cooney, Michael Spinks boxing at Convention Hall, June 15, 1987. Dick Stilo knocked out Gerry Cooneys bodyguard, he added. Gerry Cooney's income source is mostly from being a successful Boxer. He was so desperate to meet Jerry Seinfeld (and perhaps to impress his son Adam by doing so) that he figured out a way for both of them to sneak onto the set of Seinfeld's sitcom. Writers at The Big Roundtable depend on your generosity. And he thinks boxing is in the midst of one. He proceeded to ride the afterglow for the rest of his career, which would last another 13 years in Harrisburg. Gerry is 65 years old. JERRY MAGUIRE, Renee Zellweger, Tom Cruise, 1996, (c) TriStar/courtesy Everett Collection . The then-44-year-old detective who stood 5-foot-10 and went about 205 pounds became a giant for whipping Cooneys 6-foot, 190-pound and seven-years-younger bodyguard. Gerry Cooney has his face knocked awry by powerful blow from Larry Holmes during their championship fight at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas on June 11, 1978. He wanted me to be better than him. Furthermore, the fight between Larry and Gerry was one of the most anticipated fights of the time that it was broadcasted to more than 150 countries. It wasnt anything. [6] Despite his devastating punching power, Cooney's moderate stamina and lack of experience proved to be his downfall. He is from American. Ranked #53 on The Ring Magazine's "100 Greatest Punchers of All Time," Cooney fought all-time great champion Larry Holmes in one of the most memorable and anticipated title fights in boxing history. I felt a little rusty, but that is normal. He was trained by Victor Valle. Dick was an old-time rough-and-tumble detective. So, who is George Clooneys wife? The conventional wisdom was that if there was an early knockout it would likely be Holmes going down but a strong right sent Cooney to the canvas in Round 2. He succeeded in beating Lee Savolds 1948 record for the fastest knockout during the main event at Madison Square Garden, thereby creating a new record. Thanks for contacting us. Cooney performed credibly before his corner retired him in round 13, and was regarded as having made a brave and determined effort. "He is 24 years old, but so far he has been able to escape the inhibitions that come with adulthood and has remained essentially the boy he always wanted to be.". However, Clooney was already married by the time ER propelled him to superstardom. In exchange for the kid-glove legal treatment, Cooney agreed to put on his boxing gloves for an local boxing exhibition with Stilo for charity. Clearly, Cooneys training wasnt so serious as to preclude a late-night stop in a bar. He was born on August 24, 1956, in Manhattan, New York City, New York, in the United States. He was a one-man parade for the two-block walk to Gleason's Gym, waving and mugging to passersby. Larry Holmes. All rights reserved. The New York Posts headline, alone, was worth the price of a copy: COONEY VS. Cooney learned his most important lesson as a fighter when he was fifteen years old. "I didn't understand what he was trying to teach me. But Gerry Cooney was a contender who couldve been more. "For a man rings like a cracked bell when he thinks and acts with a split mind one part standing aside to interfere with the other, to control, to condemn, or to admire." Suddenly and violently, it all ended on Monday night for Gerry Cooney, midway through the fifth round. Following his five-round failure against Spinks in 1987, Cooney displayed his devastating punching power one last time, just before his penchant for eating even more power shots than he dished out put an end to his fighting days for good. These were not rated contenders, however. Cooney had 11 more wins, spanning 1978 and 1979. NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 28: Retired Boxer Gerry Cooney (R) and wife Jennifer Cooney arrive for the 2015 Garden Of Laughs Comedy Benefit at the Club Bar and Grill at Madison Square Garden on March 28, 2015 in New York City. It didnt matter. But Gerry also followed the third strategy of surviving life with an alcoholic. The Week is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Instead, there was a charity exhibition between Cooney and another fighter at Harrisburgs Zembo Temple, with the proceeds going to the American Heart Association and cancer research, The Patriot-News reported. During his decade-plus career as a boxer, Gerry made a record of 55 wins and 3 losses as an amateur boxer. A well-known international law and human rights attorney, Alamuddin has represented a fair share of big-name clients, including controversial WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and former Ukrainian prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko. He guides young fighters in the gym. He won two New York Golden Gloves Championships, the 1973 160-lb Sub-Novice Championship and the 1976 Heavyweight Open Championship. The fight was scheduled for March and pushed back because of a Cooney shoulder injury. It's bad for a kid to be pressured.". After 12 rounds of fighting, Larry wore down Gerry making his trainer Victor step into the ring to save Gerry. Only on that night in Harrisburg, it would be a Harrisburg cop who scored the knockout, with Cooneys bodyguard hitting not the canvas, but a barroom floor. For a man who has been present in Hollywood for almost four decades, Clooney has definitely had his fair share of relationships while trying to find that one special person to settle down with. Callers to his home got this message on his answering machine: "I'm in the shower so I can't come to the phone because I hate to talk when I'm all wet. Whatever did occur, Cooney chalks up to youthful exuberance on his part along with some legend-building on behalf of a collection of small-city cops out to milk their 15 minutes of fame. I felt bad when his happened, he told The Patriot-News. This story originally appeared at The Big Roundtable. Tony didn't need to drink to get abusive. Below are all possible answers to this clue ordered by its rank. The home town of this person is United States. Yes, he has been married to his lovely wife Jennifer since 1994. Nearly 40 years ago, Larry Holmes and Gerry Cooney battled in one of the most anticipated heavyweight title fights, a meeting that divided fans across racial lines. After he won that St. Patrick's Day bout, people who used to ignore him now gave him plenty of attention. Despite his relative inexperience, Cooney's exciting wins and size, aided by expert promotion, gained him a . Gerald Arthur Cooney is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1977 to 1990. He currently resides in New York City, New York, USA. 2023 Getty Images. Gerry was the working-class kid from suburbia who took an afternoon Long Island Railroad train to work every day in Manhattan. Furthermore, Gerry and his wife reside in Fanwood, New Jersey together with their two children Jackson and Sarah. Back when he was the leading contender for the world heavyweight championship of the world, back in the early 1980s, Gerry Cooney didn't seem hard to fathom. Share with your friends. He believed that skill, not race, should determine if a boxer was good. By the ninth, a tiring Cooney had points deducted for low blows. In the opposite one, some off-duty Harrisburg police officers were unwinding with some post-shift drinks. So Cooney played the loyal and lovable son, brother, and friend. A cut over Young's right eye, led to a stoppage at the end of the 4th round. They called me out afterward.. I wish he were here so I could tell him that I understand.". Even after the abuse especially after the abuse, even he worked to please his father. "How do you do that to your kids? We are told it was a "chaotic and unsafe household" run by an alcoholic father. Im not mad at anything. [7] Two of the three judges would have had Cooney ahead after the 12th round if it weren't for the point deductions. Really hard. Then he was off to explore the town in his brand-new Cadillac. In wake of the out-of-the-ring action in Harrisburg, Cooneys fighting career never really recovered. Cooney caused a stir when he squirted people with a water pistol at the Walt Whitman Mall. He is ranked number 53 on The Ring's list of "100 Greatest Punchers of All Time". They desperately want attention and approval, but they also want separation and independence. [citation needed], When he turned professional, Cooney signed with co-managers Mike Jones and Dennis Rappaport. Tony ordered them into the garage. Almost as if hes trying to convince himself. The Young fight was stopped because of cuts sustained by Young. Consequently, he was ranked number 1 by the WBC and eager for a match with champion Larry Holmes. "My brother gave him a left hook to the body and the right hand to the chin," Cooney recalls. Gerry Cooneys career has clearly been successful, despite the fact that he seems to have peaked. The bout, held June 11, 1982 drew attention worldwide, and Larry Holmes vs. Gerry Cooney was one of the biggest closed-circuit/pay-per-view productions in history, broadcast to over 150 countries. According to his birthplace, He is American by birth. Afterward, Clooney would remain a bachelor for two decades and dated several high-list celebrities over time. All rights reserved (About Us). Gerry is the son of Eileen, his mother, and Arthur, his father. However, as a professional boxer, Gerry was ranked number 53 on The Rings list of 100 Greatest Punchers of All Time hence compiling a professional record of 28 wins and 3 losses with 24 knockouts. Additionally, most of his boxing fights ended up in quick knockouts. Eddie Murphy brought his comedic chops to this thriller, which saw his hard-working . Gerry Cooney is a former boxer who emerged as the #1 contender for the heavyweight championship of the world. Gerry Cooney has his face knocked awry by powerful blow from Larry Holmes during their championship fight at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas on June 11, 1978. . None of these strategies works. Cooney and several friends arrived at Syd's bar inside the then-Holiday Inn Center City on Second Street (now the Crown Plaza). His career has been marked with so many wins as compared to the losses he has experienced. Dick would not be intimidated by Gerry Cooney, professional boxer, or his bodyguard. "It was out of sight, out of mind. I got a call from my agent who called me and said, I met this woman whos coming over to your house who youre gonna marry. The funniest thing was my mom and dad were visiting, so my parents were there, and we just talked, and we stayed up all night talking. Clooney said. Gerry Cooney (born August 4, 1956) is famous for being boxer. The New Jersey resident, an ultra-affable extrovert who co-hosts a boxing shows with Randy Gordon on SiriusXM, told NY . Answer (1 of 12): Jerry Quarry is a forgotten and tragic Hall of Fame fighter. Cooney fared far less well in the actual bouts that capped his career. Gerald Arthur Cooney, born 4 August 1956, is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1977 to 1990 and challenged twice for world heavyweight titles in 1982 and 1987. Irish American boxing icon Gerry Cooney says Anthony Joshua's shock defeat to Andy Ruiz Jr could be a blessing in disguise for the British fighter. Forget about fear, forget about feelings. Have a nice day. Larry Holmes and Gerry Cooney are in talks to relive the June 11, 1982, Caesars Palace brawl, the two pugilists told the Daily News. I'm looking forward to . We found 20 possible solutions for this clue. From the time he first attracted public notice when he won two Golden Gloves, got invited to the Olympic trials, and boxed in Europe Gerry Cooney won fans with his gentle, easygoing nature. He was one of several off-duty city officers at the bar, according to police reports and multiple media accounts of the incident. Cooney is married to Jennifer, with whom he resides in Fanwood, New Jersey. How much money is Gerry Cooney worth at the age of 66 and whats his real net worth now? His height is 1.98 m tall, and his weight is 114 kg. Anyway, Tom knew how to throw a punch. Tommy Cooney, who was his brother, competed in boxing and made it all the way to the New York Golden Gloves Sub-Novice Heavyweight finals. Leo is represented by the lion, and these spirited fire signs are the kings and queens of the celestial jungle. @LarryHolmes75. Today, they are good. Cooney, plodding forward, dipped and threw that vaunted left hook, the punch for which. (AP Photo) A source close to Holmes. Stilo died at age 66, some 10 years ago now. Back up? Cooney compiled a professional record of 28 wins and 3 losses, with 24 knockouts. He is working for SIRIUS XM Radio as the co-host of Friday Night at the Fights. During his career as an amateur boxer, Gerry won international tournaments in Scotland, England, as well as the NY Golden Gloves titles with a record consisting of 55 wins and 3 losses. COPS A NEAR CELL-OUT, it read. Don't trust nobody.". Online estimates of Gerry Cooneys net worth vary. Gerald Arthur Cooney is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1977 to 1990. Beyond the merriment what made the whole Gerry Cooney narrative believable and poignant was the story Cooney told about his stern father who drove him to become a champion. Cooney's grandparents lived in Placentia, Newfoundland, in Canada. The absolute monster of a heavyweight fight that took place 40 years ago today, between defending champ Larry Holmes and lethal-punching challenger Gerry Cooney, really did have it all: snipers. "I was never cowering," he said, correcting a visitor on his word choice. All these years later, Cooney struggles to talk about those moments of fear. Everything is OK. A win, and the unranked Cooney would be back on top of the boxing world. He founded an organization that helps retired boxers find jobs called the Fighters Initiative for Support and Training. "He would beat me with his hands, his belt," Cooney years later, after his own battles with alcoholism and drugs, twisted relationships and squandered possibilities, ego trips and depression. And the truth is, we still don't know and we never will. Official Twitter page of Larry Holmes, Easton Assassin, Heavyweight Champion from 1978 to 1985. Look angry? Fame and with it, a chance to build a life of his own arrived when Cooney won the Golden Gloves in front of 21,000 boxing fanatics at Madison Square Garden in 1972. Gerry Cooney With Wife Jennifer Cooney Cooney is a family man. Sons with troubled relationships with fathers struggle to develop their own identity. Do they weave? Cooney lost to Foreman via 2nd round KO. He was fined three points for repeated low blows. The Gerry Cooney and Larry Holmes show that divided a nation: Forty years on, JEFF POWELL speaks to two great American boxers - and now close friends - about the Las Vegas fight that was sold on . Das Getty Images Design ist eine eingetragene Marke von Getty Images. Jesse Jackson to ease the tension as the fight drew closer. He became a boxing promoter for title fights featuring the likes of George Foreman, among others. Prior to becoming engaged, Amal Clooney . 1960 Frank Sinatra Movie Made Into A 2001 Movie Starring George Clooney Crossword Clue The crossword clue Made a movie. He earned his high school diploma from Walt Whitman High School. Cooney co-hosted the Friday Night at the Fights show on SIRIUS XM Radio from June 2010. Feeling slighted by the marketing campaign and the fact that the ring announcer introduces him before his challenger, Holmes drops Cooney in the second round. According to Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Clooney met Amal Alamuddin at his Venice home in 2013 at the request of his agent. Value of Gerry Cooney in 2022 View this post on Instagram A post shared by Gerry Cooney (@gerryacooney) You may also like Liam Williams Jeff Horn Lovlina Borgohain He really, really had a heart of gold. Gerry Cooneys source of wealth comes from being a boxer. Gerry Cooneys income source is mostly from being a successful Boxer. He is an actor, known for Minges Alley (1994), Spenser: For Hire (1985) and Mob Queen (1998). The two talked about a rematch for charity in early 2020, but plans were scrapped. More Local News to Love Start today for 50% off Expires 3/6/23. She is best known for her role as Mystique in the trilogy of the X-Men film series and as Joan from The Punisher, both of which belong to the Marvel Universe. . As for being cast as "The Great White Hope," Cooney, who came from a blue-collar family on Long Island, ignored it. However, Johnny Davis defeated him after he advanced to the 1975 175-pound Open category finals. 24. That's what boxing was all about. You live for that and so you stay too long. He is also the former #1 WBC fighter in the world. As drinks were downed, some words were exchanged with an off-duty Harrisburg patrolman, Gregory Williams. Then look for an opening and hit it hard, don't let up, make more openings and then hit them hard. George and Amal Clooney have the look of love at premiere. In 1973, Cooney defeated Larry Derrick in the 160-lb Sub-Novice title and Earlous Tripp in 1976 in the Heavyweight Open title. Wesnofske poked the middle-aged, mustachioed detective several times in the gut, taunting him. [2] Newspaper and magazines across the country were soon writing about the heavyweight contenders bar fight, instead of the make-or-break title bout the six-foot-seven, 222-pound Cooney was trying to land with reigning champ, Spinks. A lot of people thought I was going to lose, Holmes said. The last thing he wanted while training for a fight was dealing with the criminal justice system.. Polite substituted for Jerry Thompkins. Continue to the next page to see Gerry Cooney net worth, estimated salary and earnings. And I fooled them., The best insights from the ultimate insiders, 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Muhammad Ali's grandson gets first MSG win, MLB's rule changes will only bring needless new degree of confusion, Yankees may get solution to to glut of infielders after NL teams' misfortune, The Marchand and Ourand Sports Media Podcast, The Show with Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman, Amazin' But True: A NY Mets Baseball Podcast, Gangs All Here: A NY Jets Football Podcast, Tom Sandoval, Raquel Leviss planned to tell Ariana Madix about affair, Canadian teacher with size-Z prosthetic breasts placed on paid leave. He must be a pretty big Dancing With the . He (Stilo) knocked out Cooneys bodyguard in a single punch. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Later, Cooney elaborated on this father-son myth of love. He was the goofy prankster, a hulk with a leprechaun face and a Corleone whisper. Ted Cheeseman Net worth: Who is Ted Cheeseman dating in his personal life? Maybe you know about Gerry Cooney very well, but do you know how old and tall is he and what is his net worth in 2023? Gerry was so devastated by his pop's death that he even passed up a chance at the Olympics. Lift their gloves? [5] This tied the record set in 1948 by Lee Savold for the quickest knockout in a main event in Madison Square Garden. In summary, his Professional record summary is listed as follows: As of March 2023, Gerry Cooney is an American former professional boxer who has a net worth of $4 million. his wife of 17 years, who lived in Cranford. He bought people cars, paid restaurant and bar tabs, arranged jobs, gave away ringside seats. The actor added that he even chased and called her for many months afterward, clearly smitten by the 43-year-old Lebanese British lawyer. "Two weeks after he was buried it hit me things I wanted to say to him and never said to him, things I wanted to do with him again," Cooney told one reporter. Yes, he is currently working as a radio co-host for SiriusXM radio. Hence he set a new record after breaking the one set in 1948 by Lee Savold for the quickest knockout in the main event in Madison Square Garden. Tony hit him in the face. Cooney went on to suffer a devastating second-round knockout that ended his career. All 25-year-old Gerry Cooney had to do was win, and he would be the biggest American sports hero since Babe Ruth. Cooney's left-hook is described as one of the most powerful punches in boxing history. Gerald Arthur Cooney (born August 24, 1956) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1977 to 1990, and challenged twice for world heavyweight titles in 1982 and 1987 (for the WBC and lineal title in 1982 and 1987, and for the lineal title only in 1987).Born into a blue collar Irish-Catholic family on Long Island . All of a sudden I was expressing anger and I was good at it," he says. After his time on Roseanne, Clooney would somehow find his way back to acting in the emergency room in the hit NBC medical drama also called ER (they really didnt think too hard with that one, did they?) Cooney was known for not throwing punches at the head, aiming instead for his opponent's chest, ribs, or stomach. Irish-American former boxer best known for his defeat of ex-champion Ken Norton. From then on, Cooney's strategy in the ring was to paralyze his opponents with a left hook to the midsection, to set up a flurry of hits to the head. Count big Gerry Cooney as one who believes in Mike Tyson, and thinks at 53, we shouldn't all dismiss out of hand that the wizened being once known as Kid Dynamite could be older but wiser nowand still present some problems for Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder.. Cooney resides in Fanwood, New Jersey, with his wife Jennifer and two of their three children, Jackson and Sarah. Until he made the decision to retire, he kept winning. Quite unexpectedly, Dec. 9, 1985, became fight night in a Harrisburg bar. He did not encourage the racist tilt of promotion of the Holmes vs. Cooney match and became good friends with his former rival Holmes in the years afterward. By Thomas Hauser. Some broken-down boxers are left to mutter that they coulda been contenders, ala Marlon Brandos character in On the Waterfront.. When Gerry's pals Hilton Cohn and George Munch drove by in their big 1970s American cars, honking their horns and teasing him about his endless chores, Gerry looked up sheepishly. Cooney defeated Earlous Tripp for the Heavyweight Open title in 1976 after defeating Larry Derrick for the 160-pound Sub-Novice title in 1973. Even though he had experienced hurt, he didn't blame anyone for anything. Denny's survivors include his wife of 46 years, Jane Thomasine (Jackson) Cooney; his four children: Jason Cooney of Lutherville-Timonium, MD, David Cooney and his wife, Felicia, of Abingdon, MD, Anna Sharp and her husband, Ira, of Enola, Jessica Cooney of Mechanicsburg; his six grandchildren: Alana Cooney, Lilliana "Lilli" Sharp, Sammy . Gerry was born in Manhattan, NYC, in the United States on August 24, 1956. "He knocked the wind out of him. No winner was declared, so Cooney told the crowd following the bout: "This is only an exhibition. So this was a night off for a bachelor party. Dip their shoulders? I was scared for the guy. Gerry Cooney is a 66 year old American Boxer born on 24th August, 1956 in Manhattan, New York, United States. Cooney currently co-hosts "At . (Allied Pix for The Patriot-News). I got a brilliant, beautiful wife, I got two knuckleheads for kids, lifes great, he said in a 2019 interview with ET. Gerry Cooney, at 30, looks great. During the fight, Gerry knocked down Ken by a knockout during the first round after only five seconds of the fight with a blisteringly powerful attack. If youre a fan of classic movies that didnt need nonstop action, explosions, or CGI to be successful, theres no way youd forget about George Clooney. Cooney remembers the year his father told him to make a list of gifts he would like for Christmas. Cooney, Wesnofske and three others in the entourage were promptly arrested and charged. Is Gerry Cooney Married Yes, he has been married to his lovely wife Jennifer since 1994. Cooney down twice rd 5. NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 28: Retired Boxer Gerry Cooney (R) and wife Jennifer Cooney arrive for the 2015 Garden Of Laughs Comedy Benefit at the Club Bar and Grill at Madison Square Garden on March 28, 2015 in New York City. Jennifer and Gerry Cooney reside in Fanwood, New Jersey. Above all, Cooney insists no one was looking for trouble that night. Gerry Cooney is an anomaly, a white man in a sport dominated by Hispanics and blacks, a product of the suburban middle class in a game whose breeding ground is the gritty urban street. [15], Cooney is deeply involved in J.A.B., the first union for boxers. Holmes and his wife only attended the . Stilo responded with a right cross that caught Wesnofske under the left eye. In 1987, Cooney lost a title battle against Michael Spinks, a former heavyweight and light heavyweight world champion. His zodiac sign is Virgo More about Gerry Cooney Photo Gallery Gerry Cooney At Caesars Palace 1982 Larry Homes Vs. Gerry Cooney June 11 1982 Cooney & Holmes Gerry Cooney Vs. Ken Norton 1981 Gerry Cooney Holmes- Cooney Gerry Cooney & Rocky Cooney did stagger Foreman in the first round, but he was over-matched, and Foreman knocked him out two minutes into the second round. We cared about each other.. He (Wesnofske) was a retired cop, and he has since passed away.. He is listed at number 53 on The Rings list of the 100 Greatest Punchers of All Time., A post shared by Gerry Cooney (@gerryacooney), As a prominent member of J.A.B., the original boxing union, Cooney promoted championship bouts involving George Foreman, Roberto Durn, and Hctor Camacho. But the challenger labeled The Great White Hope signed on for $10 million, the same Holmes received. 3. Scared? So, how much is Gerry Cooney worth at the age of 65 years old? Second, fighting back: gaining power, tragically enough, by doing the same kind of damage usually to someone else. Noah Nicholas Reid net worth, bio, Early, Vicky Krieps-Is Vicky Krieps married? It wasnt anything.. Better still, Stilo was less than two years removed from open heart triple-bypass surgery when he slung that stinging right hand. [2], Fighting as an amateur, Gerry Cooney won international tournaments in England, Wales, and Scotland, as well as the New York Golden Gloves titles. He challenged unsuccessfully for the world heavyweight championship, losing to Muhammad Ali in 1975. Gerry Cooney was born in New York City, New York, USA on Saturday, August 4, 1956 (Baby Boomers Generation). In 1975 he reached the finals of the 175-lb Open division, but was defeated by Johnny Davis. (More from The Big Roundtable: After the tsunami). Cooney fought in September 1984, after a long layoff, beating Phillip Brown by a 4th-round knockout in Anchorage, Alaska. Most of his fights ended in quick knockouts; while this benefited him in the beginning of his career, it left him unprepared for his fight against world heavyweight champion Larry Holmes. His long list of girlfriends includes Cameron Diaz, Charlize Theron, Lucy Liu, Renee Zellweger, and former WWE star Stacy Keibler.