When Unknown Cooney Challenged Ken Norton

Рет қаралды 605,496

7 ай бұрын

Welcome back to Boxing After Dark. In today's video, we look back at a 1981 heavyweight bout between the man they called Hercules, Ken Norton, And the big friendly giant Gerry Cooney. The night is held as the change of guard between the 70's heavyweights such as Muhammad Ali, George Foreman to the new 80's heavyweights.

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@skracing_1805 7 ай бұрын

That referee was a disgrace letting Norton taking those punches when he was down.

@williamessex3518 7 ай бұрын

He appeared to be afraid of being hit so he stuck his left arm in with his back to Cooney while watching Ken Norton getting rocked with bombs. He should have had to pay for admittance like every other paying customer.

@fmills1583 7 ай бұрын

The Mercer-Morrison beating; 10 years early.

@user-vi8sb4dq7h 6 ай бұрын

I couldn't agree with you more. The fight should have been stopped 5-6 punches earlier

@spactick 6 ай бұрын

I think the person who should have stopped was Cooney. A fighter knows when his opponent is toast

@williamparker1085 6 ай бұрын

should have sued by nortons family

@CaptainRon1913 7 ай бұрын

Kenny Norton was well loved and respected. He lived near and worked out at a Gold's Gym not to far from where I lived in California. Although I never met him, I had friends who did, and they all said the same thing. He took time for everyone, and was interested in what you had to say. Kind, gentle man.

@Michael-hq1iq 6 ай бұрын

i met him at crystal t's if you know where that was , he was great to me and all my friends

@garykeith1048 Ай бұрын

One of the most underrated heavyweight champions. He got robbed of the title in 3rd Ali-Norton fight in Yankee Stadium 1976 and the 1979 fight with Larry Holmes in CA. I believe the decisions were influenced by Don King's money and support of Ali and Holmes to continue making money off of them. Anyway, Norton was one of the most intelligent, tactical, forward thinking boxer in the heavyweight division in the 1970's and early 80's. RIP Kenny.

@charlesmccoy5857 Ай бұрын

@@Michael-hq1iq Are you talking about San Diego, down by the Convention Center?? What year was this, because that's where I met him also.

@Michael-hq1iq Ай бұрын

@@charlesmccoy5857 that was at a night club called crystal tees in June of 1980 in San Diego

@nicholascoob1350 Ай бұрын

@@garykeith1048Stop being a drama queen, he wasn't robbed against Holmes. It was close and could have gone either way.

@ddiesel1836 5 ай бұрын

Norton's style is an enigma. It gives technical fighters like Ali and Holmes trouble. but is a sitting duck for punchers like Foreman, Shavers and Cooney

@bradhuskers 29 күн бұрын

No. Ali was corrupt. Foreman would've killed Ali in the automatic rematch. But Ali chose to fight an OLD slow white dude instead. Facts.

@thespy7795 25 күн бұрын

@@bradhuskersYou DON'T know what the hell you're talking about. Ali and Foreman were going to have the rematch but Foreman lost to Jimmy Young. What would Foreman do in a rematch? If Ali danced and moved he would have Foreman to death. If he goes to the ropes he'll pick him apart. There's NOTHING Foreman could do to beat Ali. NOTHING.

@thespy7795 25 күн бұрын

You are 💯 correct. Styles make Fights. Ali is Great against Power Punchers. Boxers and Boxers/ Punchers gave Ali trouble. Fighters like Doug Jones, Ken Norton, Jimmy Young, Joe Bugner.

@scottreed8985 22 күн бұрын

@@bradhuskers corrupt? How? And why would Ali have automatically given Foreman a rematch? Did Frazier automatically give Ali a rematch? No. He made a few paydays and then got hammered by Foreman. Boxing is a business. George would have gotten his shot but he lost to Jimmy Young and retired.

@Amherst669 16 күн бұрын

Yup.kinda like Frazier

@bobbytheblade2550 7 ай бұрын

Unknown Cooney? He was the number one ranked heavyweight and was coming off some huge wins.

@UmmerFarooq-wx4yo 7 ай бұрын

No one today knows about him. People know Ken Norton. Not Cooney.

@melvinsims5379 7 ай бұрын

@@UmmerFarooq-wx4yoWhen this dude first came up Cus D'mato the man who taught Mike Tyson how to fight offered to train him but his people decided to go with trainer Victor Valle.Big mistake. With Cooney's 6'7 frame, reach and power hook the tutelage of D'mato could have made him one of the all-time greats.😢

@djo-dji6018 7 ай бұрын

@@UmmerFarooq-wx4yo Clueless people don't know Cooney, but all the others remember him.

@UmmerFarooq-wx4yo 7 ай бұрын

@@djo-dji6018 we all know Norton because of Muhammad Ali, especially those of us born after this fight. The antics I just read about Cooney vs Holmes probably the reason why _they_ don't mention him.

@seltonk5136 7 ай бұрын

Any sports fan knew Cooney. And the year was a decade off. KZfaq presenters are clowns

@muskratrepairservices7701 7 ай бұрын

That late stoppage was disgraceful

@scottculli7851 7 ай бұрын

Read my comment, Jerry Cooney is a piece of Garbage, a forgettable fighter

@dank8017 6 ай бұрын

Yes it was. Reminds me of the Mercer/Morrison fight.

@marvinjohnson4118 6 ай бұрын

@@dank8017 mike tyson and bruno was another slow stoppage

@robertwhitten265 6 ай бұрын

This was 81, many ended that way.

@peteroates9921 6 ай бұрын

Mercer Morrison prelude

@undertakerfanz628 7 ай бұрын

Horrible referee stopped the fight way too late

@milojanis4901 7 ай бұрын

I remember. Hope it was the last fight the jerk ever refereed, if you can call it refereeing....

@willyoueatmypussyplease3549 7 ай бұрын

@@milojanis4901looked like the ref was scared to jump in, incase he caught one of those bombs, shouldn't be a ref if that is the case

@philiprose7942 7 ай бұрын

Yes, that knockout has always given me chills. The ref allowed at least three too many punches.

@undertakerfanz628 7 ай бұрын

@@philiprose7942 the one with Tommy Morrison and Ray Mercer was worse

@noladude5046 7 ай бұрын

To the referees defense it appears as though he was scared one of those punches was going to hit him.

@gene4389 7 ай бұрын

Quick correction on the year. It was 1981 when he fought Norton, and Conney's last fight was 1990, being stopped by the great Foreman.

@peterbulloch4328 7 ай бұрын

Just saw a vid where George named Cooney as one of the 3 hardest punchers he ever faced!

@lkdonner2087 7 ай бұрын

Yeah I caught that as well. I know I'm old but had to shake my head when I heard that WTF.

@gene4389 7 ай бұрын

@@lkdonner2087 🤣🤣

@garyfosker7952 7 ай бұрын

@@peterbulloch4328 I’m I’m gonna have

@melvinsims5379 7 ай бұрын

@@lkdonner2087What do you mean WTF? The only other puncher besides Cooney that Foreman met in his career was Ron Lyle. Frazier was just a swarmer who always tried to overwhelm his opponents with punches. And we all saw how Foreman destroyed him.🙈 Ouch!

@IronHorsey3 7 ай бұрын

What a nice tribute to Ken Norton. The Cooney KO was frightening as Norton got stuck held up by the ropes. It may have cost suffering later. RIP

@paulnewton3059 7 ай бұрын

Poor refereeing, should have jumped in and stopped it as soon as Ken was obviously gone. I was a HW and one punch can damage you for life.

@valerym1400 7 ай бұрын

The referee was too frightened to stop the fight on time. Coward!

@hardtoke 7 ай бұрын

@@valerym1400 Maybe he was racist

@angeloiodice9304 7 ай бұрын

That was disgusting. He was off of his feet. His legs were no longer supporting him. Why did Cooney keep on punching a defenseless man entangled in the ropes?

@wa1ufo 7 ай бұрын

I agree. That ref sucked.

@c.galindo9639 6 ай бұрын

It goes to show that Norton was willing but you can only push the body so far especially in a sport that demands that you constantly be at your absolute best. He went out like a warrior and had the heart of a lion. RIP Ken Norton

@KeithHogarth-jm2kr 2 ай бұрын

Cooney should have stopped hitting Norton when he saw he was helplessly stuck on the ropes unable to fall.

@c.galindo9639 2 ай бұрын

@@KeithHogarth-jm2kr in the heat of the moment, sometimes you forget what you’re truly capable of doing to others

@TheBatugan77 2 ай бұрын

@@KeithHogarth-jm2kr Wrong. Quit being a mealy-mouthed milquetoast.

@damienbates6717 7 ай бұрын

His son Ken Norton Jr was a monster on the football field with the Cowboys.

@angeloiodice9304 7 ай бұрын

That he was…the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree

@darrentaylor5455 7 ай бұрын

And 49ers

@djallen16 6 ай бұрын

Yes he was a beast

@truspirit1925 6 ай бұрын

And 9ers

@justinallport9789 6 ай бұрын

Just looked it up, 3 time pro bowl, 1st to win 3 consecutive super bowls, 2 with Dallas, 1 with San Francisco.

@notta3d 7 ай бұрын

Damn ref. What the hell were you waiting for?

@bobvanderwest9358 6 ай бұрын

The referee was almost criminally slow in stopping this fight.

@larryhatfield7372 Ай бұрын

I agree

@jameskeating5604 28 күн бұрын

4 punches landed that were not necessary had the ref been sharper.

@PhilAndersonOutside 27 күн бұрын

Tony Perez was very much an "old school" referee. He arguably let more than a few fights go on a couple punches too many. He officiated numerous big fights though because he was considered very unbiased, never favoring one fighter or the other. Many fighters respected him for this. Probably would have made a better judge than referee.

@tallpaul1563 6 ай бұрын

That hooking left uppercut of Cooney was sick. An all-time legendary punch. Cooney almost seemed too nice a guy for the fight game.

@generatorx 2 ай бұрын

It helped that Cooney also had some pretty active legs for a man his size.

@hammer44head Ай бұрын

Too nice? He pummeled old Kenny while he was clearly out helpless on the ropes!! The ref should have stopped it but freakin cooney acted like a sadist.

@deanladue5367 Ай бұрын

Was never properly trained as a boxer, and his career as a whole was terribly mismanaged by his handlers. They saw Cooney as nothing more than a quick and easy meal ticket than somone who's job it was to look out professionally and financially for their client.

@MelloKings 29 күн бұрын

@@hammer44head He was punching with instinct, I’ve seen many more vicious knockouts with helpless fighters…

@romanboxing3959 12 күн бұрын

@@hammer44headSuck it up, baby

@West.Ham1964 7 ай бұрын

I'm thinking 'Where is the ref?' while a defenceless Norton is getting a pasting. A sad end to a great career.

@ktcarl 7 ай бұрын

I agree. Cooney should have stopped hitting Norton when he was slumped down on the ropes. He was knocked out and the rope post was holding him up.

@mikthe2004 7 ай бұрын

Yeah, Norton took about 4 blows to the head totally undefended!! He was already down before the first blow!!

@scottodonnell7121 7 ай бұрын

@@ktcarl no he should not have. A fighter's job is to fight hard till the bell rings or the referee steps in. You're giving your opponent second chances which can come back and haunt you. And it also brings the legitimacy of fights into question. It was certainly bad refereeing by Perez.

@umarb7325 7 ай бұрын

believe it or not back then it was not considered a big deal among combat fans. Even fight night round 2 on ps2 allowed you to beat opponents after KO.

@johnchavezjr3312 7 ай бұрын

Tony Perez was the Same referee in the Mercer/Morrison fight.

@TheGreatest1974 5 ай бұрын

Foreman’s knockout of Cooney was unbelievable. The last punch foreman hit him with, he just strolled up to him like he was meeting him in the park and lamped him and that was it. Loved big George.

@fmills1583 5 ай бұрын

That's the same punch that Jersey Joe Walcott used to KO Ezzard Charles.

@MuhammadAli-kg7ij 5 ай бұрын

Foreman took revenge for his Golden Era buddies, Roy Lyle, and Norton😂

@TheGreatest1974 5 ай бұрын

@@MuhammadAli-kg7ij I like your photo dude! You got class man!💥🥊

@TheGreatest1974 5 ай бұрын

@@fmills1583 true! I knew I’d seen that punch somewhere before! Well spotted.

@Monkycrasure-gk4fz 4 ай бұрын

@@MuhammadAli-kg7ijRon Lyle

@midwestcharm 7 ай бұрын

I loved how this reporting ended with such high praise of Norton. Boxing was always a place where kids could go and learn character, fair sportsmanship and of course courage to overcome challenges in life. Making money is secondary

@HouseGuide 7 ай бұрын

Midwest charm, I don't agree with you at all. Boxing can be interesting and exciting to watch but at the same time it is a brutal animalistic disgusting sport to watch beating someone into submission or snapping someones head back until they becomes unconscious and often times leading to permanent brain damage. Nothing positive about that at all. I certainly would not want my kids to watch that to build character.

@user-fw3ht8ue2j 7 ай бұрын

The referee must've been blind to let few unnecessary punches when Norton was clearly unconscious

@StephenDoty84 7 ай бұрын

I met Ken Norton in person at a small local boxing event in San Diego in the mid 80's. Archie Moore was there too. So Cal had some good boxers back then. Anyway, I asked Ken how he got such hand speed with his muscular arms and build. He gave me a tip which I started to use right away. He said to stop shadow boxing with bare hands and buy some 5 lbs. weights and hold those. It will make your punches faster. A good tip. He said he used that method himself.

@ronald8792 7 ай бұрын

I met Duane Bobick in the mid 70's while he was training for Norton and he was also a very friendly guy. He even paused his heavy bag work to tell me I had a good right and it meant the world to me.

@StephenDoty84 7 ай бұрын

I know exactly what your mean. Those little compliments from the experts might seem small to onlookers, but to you and others in that position it can mean the difference between quitting a sport or sticking with it. @@ronald8792

@rcnelson 7 ай бұрын

Five pounds on each hand is amazing if you're swinging punches.

@thinkofitthisway7804 7 ай бұрын

I had great respect for Ken Norton until I read Jerry Quarry's autobiography "Hard Luck".

@maciejguzek3442 7 ай бұрын

@@thinkofitthisway7804can you say shortly what was there about Norton? I won't read that book, but I'm curious..

@johnchavezjr3312 7 ай бұрын

Tony Perez is the same referee in the Mercer/Morrison fight.

@user-vm9hh2se7s 4 ай бұрын

Yes he was! 👌

@CocaineCowboyJones 4 күн бұрын

That Perez was fucking suck

@dankowalski6925 6 ай бұрын

I’m 59 and followed boxing in the 70 and 80s like it was my job. Kenny Norton was one of my favorites.

@jbhatt5920 7 ай бұрын

When Ken Norton limbed down, he was already ko’d. Mr coney threw 5 more punched just because referee failed to stop. Wow!!! He almost killed Ken Norton. Great boxer but no heart. That is why I loved Ali. There can never be another Ali.

@williammorton3359 7 ай бұрын

You don’t even know his real name. If you did you would call him ali. Or nobody.

@jbhatt5920 7 ай бұрын

@@williammorton3359 Not sure about your reply. Here I am comparing Cooney with Muhammad Ali. I have seen many times Ali called referee to stop the fight. But, here Cooney literally threw 5 more punches when he knew Norton was already down. Well, to do this, one needs big heart like Ali who would never want to hurt opponent to that extent.

@johnshogskins4443 7 ай бұрын

@@jbhatt5920Ali beat his wife. Where was his heart then?

@jbhatt5920 7 ай бұрын

That is quite his personnel life and you may know this based upon some rumors. If he had, I absolutely agree with you and that is too bad.

@FEROZKHAN-mz6qj 6 ай бұрын

Indeed. Ali would stop throwing punches the moment he saw his opponent going down. In fact, Big George always mentions that in his interviews. Says Ali is a gentleman; asked why !? Because he stopped hitting the moment he saw me going down. The grrstest indeed. And Big George too.

@Rockiii9 7 ай бұрын

I remember that fight well; Cooney was near the peak of his ascent, & Norton was 38 yrs old. I felt badly for how it ended, Norton simply never recovering from the first big Cooney punch, then taking successive head shots from the very hard-hitting Cooney. How many times have we seen this? . . . A truly great fighter way past his peak tries to make a comeback against the new star? Holmes was the same age when he got destroyed by Tyson.

@maciejguzek3442 7 ай бұрын

Boxing is a great example of how people just won't understand that their time is over, they just have to have it 'explained' by being beaten. Amazing how few are examples of champion boxers who knew when to step down themselves! Even Lennox was kind of 'lucky' because he was actually getting beaten by Vitaly (but I'm not taking away his fair and square victory and wise decision to retire)

@EranRicos 7 ай бұрын

Holmes won fights after Tyson. Wasn’t his last big fight. Even a young Holmes would have lost to young Tyson. Even a young Lewis or Holyfield woulda lost to young Tyson. Holmes has nothing to be ashamed about

@user-ox1be6qc6n 7 ай бұрын

You mean like Walcott at 37 fighting Marciano toe to toe? You mean like George Foreman at 45 reclaiming the heavyweight title? you mean like sugar ray robinson... Everybody's time is different. Because age is just a number. If you're in shape...

@mondocjenson-dy8zd 7 ай бұрын

@@maciejguzek3442I call it being punch drunk oops, Delusional 😅

@maciejguzek3442 7 ай бұрын

@@user-ox1be6qc6n pro tip: when you disagree with someone and try to start a discussion, you should rather give examples which confirm your point of view, and not the one with which you 'disagree'. Walcott lost his last 2 career fights by KO. Foreman and Robinson lost their last fights too.

@renoblomberg4054 Ай бұрын

That was a brutal knockout. I thought the ref should have stopped it sooner. I've seen hurt fighters, but I'll never forget the dazed look on Norton's face after that flurry of punches.

@camtinley 28 күн бұрын

Very timid refereeing. Should have been stopped sooner.

@murozman 7 ай бұрын

Great video and amazing tribute to Ken Norton at the end.

@edwardgilson9891 3 ай бұрын

Norton got freaked out by big heavyweights, Cooney and Foreman come to mind

@garykeith1048 Ай бұрын

I disagree. In Veneuzela fight in 1974 Ken Norton landed some good shots to Foreman's head and he was not scared. Foreman was in his prime and was just to devastating for any heavyweight in 1974. Ali only beat him because he was in the best shape of his life, trained hard, and used the rope the dope. He also fought Foreman in close which Foreman did not expect. I mean toe to toe no BS, just out-punched Foreman at close range with excellent jabs, uppercuts,straight lefts and rights which Foreman couldn't counter or stop. Ali fought the best fight of his life against Foreman in Zaire. The real fight of the century.

@deanladue5367 Ай бұрын

Earnie Shavers too.

@mr.blackhawk142 27 күн бұрын

@@garykeith1048 Ali was the biggest FRAUD in pro sports! Big George was DRUGGED! HE WAS SLIPPED A MICKEY in his water bottle. The ONLY reason Ali beat him...

@salahuddinmuhammad3251 7 ай бұрын

If Cooney had developed coping mechanisms to stave off his self-doubt from his father's actions, I can't imagine how far he would have gone. Great puncher but too much self doubt

@maciejguzek3442 7 ай бұрын

What exactly were his father's actions to make him self doubt?

@salahuddinmuhammad3251 7 ай бұрын

@@maciejguzek3442tons of emotional abuse from his father. He went into the Larry Holmes fight and feeling he didn't even belong there, despite what the public knew from the buildup. If you research his history talked about it a lot. He often felt like he didn't belong there. He had incredible punching power, but was filled with tons of self-doubt

@alexanderkuczyk7391 7 ай бұрын

I think he needed more Fights to establish his skills . They put him in there against Holmes way too early. But , then again what do I know

@ckobo84 7 ай бұрын

He just way over sensitive and soft.

@snarkybuttcrack 7 ай бұрын

Why do you think people become boxers in the first place? Fighting for dominance IS a coping mechanism.

@DrSkippy1 7 ай бұрын

Nicely done. These two men respected each other, and I certainly respect each of them.

@petechau9616 6 ай бұрын

Cooney was not unknown then he was up and coming and many looked at this fight as a test. Cooney's manager were feeding him bottom feeders and Norton was considered a huge step up.

@Brumbieman 7 ай бұрын

Amazing to think that Foreman just walked straight down and casually beat the absolute shit out of both of them, nearly 20 years apart, when both Norton and Cooney were each near enough their prime. That left upper-cut/hook Foreman landed on Cooney as he just sort of...waddled forward like a penguin must be in the top 5 greatest punches of all time.

@jtm0071 7 ай бұрын

Cooney was in bad shape by the time he fought Foreman

@jaymoon5906 6 ай бұрын

And fraizer twice to and Norton beat ali 3 times unreal

@6400az 6 ай бұрын

Cooney had a prime?? Just when was that prime Sir ?

@jaymoon5906 6 ай бұрын

The only one to get away with excuses is Mohamed Ali he sucked that bad they had to make excuses for every loss

6 ай бұрын

Big George!!

@stanconnolly3792 6 ай бұрын

Thank you for this channel!! These men are the greatest pugilists in boxing, and without this channel, some of these amazing men/matches would be lost to history! Thank you again!

@Alan-71351 4 ай бұрын

Are u saying Cooney was great?😂😂😂😂

@Alan-71351 4 ай бұрын

Cooney fought no one who was in their prime

@assassindelasaucisse.4039 7 ай бұрын

Your videos are always up in the evening in my country. After dark indeed :)

@christopherdelmastro8031 7 ай бұрын

Norton to 4 or 5 more shots than he needed to. Ref should have jumped in sooner.

@TheIkaraCult 7 ай бұрын

It's really nice that Larry Holmes and Gerry developed a good relationship after their fight. It was only the promoters who pumped up the racial element - they were just fighters who were stepping in the ring

@albundy6008 6 ай бұрын

That would be Don King. He was without a doubt the worst thing that ever happened to boxing!!

@deanladue5367 Ай бұрын

@@albundy6008 and also Cooneys manager Dennis Rappaport, who was every bit as bad as King, Rappaport went on record as saying that America and professional boxing needed a white heavyweight champion for the sport to become legit once again.

@MaximusWolfe 17 күн бұрын

@@deanladue5367 So what? That’s how he felt.

@MaximusWolfe 17 күн бұрын

Actually Norton said a lot of racial things before this fight without being prompted.

@searchforthestrangler5034 6 ай бұрын

Norton was another one of the great boxing heavyweights of the 1970s. A tremendous decade for boxing. The sport was indeed a king

@Michael-hq1iq 6 ай бұрын

I met ken norton in a club in san diego and he was extremely gracious with me and all the fans that were there ,

@johnbailey3877 7 ай бұрын

Excellent job by the creator. This will be just another video about boxing, except for the fact that I did knowledges the humanity and integrity of Mr. Norton. The fact that he treasured being a father and took his responsibilities seriously is his greatest attribute. This is the kind of accomplished athlete that we can look up to. RIP, Ken Norton

@JEWinTx 7 ай бұрын

That ref should've been banned for life.

@user-vm9hh2se7s 4 ай бұрын

He’s the same guy who refereed the Mercer-Morrison fight. Another disgraceful stoppage

@sd097 7 ай бұрын

Love your channel from Australia 🇦🇺

@patrickcolon8809 Ай бұрын

Entering this fight, Gerry Cooney was the #1 contender for both the WBC and the WBA ...... he was hardly unknown.

@Baz-Ten Ай бұрын

plus he was 13 years younger...

@hungfao 7 ай бұрын

Ken was tragic. He was a good fighter but never quite got there. He is probably going to be best known for being the one fighter Ali couldn't completely figure out.

@philldownes8685 Ай бұрын

he broke ali's jaw and beat ali..... but almost got killed by cooney and foreman.

@deanladue5367 Ай бұрын

@@philldownes8685 Earnie Shavers knocked him out too.

@sherrilldean4598 7 ай бұрын

Ken Norton a great fighter...and even greater man.

@aidenbrooks7529 7 ай бұрын

One of the most brutal KO’s in heavyweight history! Definitely one of Cooney’s better nights even if Norton was quite past it. Ken will always be one of the great champs of the 70’s though. Great video too

@undertakerfanz628 7 ай бұрын

When Tommy Morrison got knocked out that was even more brutal that was worse

@georgevincent1834 7 ай бұрын

Norton had a glass jaw.

@mikthe2004 7 ай бұрын

Yeah, Norton was already down, but he took 4 unprotected blows to the head!! He was like a punching bag. The ref should have stopped the fight before those blows!! That was brutal!!

@aidenbrooks7529 7 ай бұрын

@@undertakerfanz628true, ray mercer was a monster in his time but Larry Holmes had his number for sure!

@raymondrocco8607 6 ай бұрын

Norton in his Prime would laugh at Gerry Cooney !!! 😂😂😂

@lordburlap4514 7 күн бұрын

I met Gerry Cooney twice…a perfect gentleman, friendly and approachable…

@slarsp2 7 ай бұрын

They all said he was one of the hardest punchers in that era.

@everettwhite9874 6 ай бұрын

One of the fights from my youth. RIP KEN 🥊🙏🏽

@mr.blackhawk142 27 күн бұрын

two youts??? L0L

@dj012001 6 ай бұрын

Thank you for your example as a great Father. To be a really good Father while being famous, rich and in the public eye is impressive. To be that kind of human being takes a strong character and very good focus. Thank you, again, for your example.

@dquinn8344 7 ай бұрын

1) it was 1981 not 1991 2) Jerry Cooney was not "unknown" in 1981 he was a well known ranked heavyweight 3) Norton was trash talking Cooney and calling him "an ass" during interviews preceeding the fight...

@sandpeat 7 ай бұрын

Norton also said “I do pretty good against caucasians” (Quarry, Bobick, Cobb etc) 😅

@dquinn8344 7 ай бұрын

@@sandpeat Even funnier Norton was talking about fighting Jerry Quarry in the mid 70s in a YT video and he said "Who Else THEY GOT"...

@marleywills2160 7 ай бұрын

They were definitely offish moments from Ken. But remember the time he grew up in. I do believe Ken was a really lovely man deep down. Those who knew him said so...

@rogerdanis. 6 ай бұрын

1981 not 1991....Gerry Cooney was the most overrated fighter ever.....he had absolutely no defense whatsoever...Tony Perez should never have been allowed to officiate again. I don't know what he was looking at but those blows after Kenny was in a helpless position, almost cost him his life. The fighters are charged with protecting themselves at all times, and the referee is charged with protecting the fighters. Its thier most important duty in the ring.

@marleywills2160 6 ай бұрын

@@rogerdanis. it's not cooneys fault? They say he's a gentleman. In the ring he had a killer instict

@joefly8165 7 ай бұрын

Great video :D Do George Foreman vs Jerry Cooney next!

@jray5363 Ай бұрын

One of the first fights I remember watching! Cooney was outclassed! Or the years caught up with him! I remember the commentators demanding that the fight be stopped because Cooney was getting beaten so bad! There’s powerful punchers, then there’s George Foreman!

@charliecroft7012 7 ай бұрын

Ken Norton was one of my very favorite of them all...I love someone who has a heart of flash and not of stone..God bless Ken Norton, may he rest in peace 🙏 💔 😢 praise God

@jonbathurst953 3 күн бұрын

Took more damage in this fight than his entire career

@310MANRUTH 6 ай бұрын

Not 1991 but 1981

@Brent-qu3yk 7 ай бұрын

1981 was the year gerry was a dangerous fighter he could hit like a freight train he could have given any champion in any Era a real tuff fight or better yet knocked out any of the greats .he had probably the most power ever. 6'6 with that reach & those visious hooks 🪝 its sad big bad gerry neglected his career . cause @ that time in the early & middle 1980s gerry was probably the best after Larry Holmes In a rematch 2 years after there first fight he might of had some news for Larry Holmes & and would of given mike tyson fits .your a good man big gerry God bless you my friend 🙏 ❤️

@user-kh2ig7ew3w 7 ай бұрын

Cooney said Tyson was "A young man a lot of us wouldn't want to get in the ring with!"

@strengthandbulkMadness 6 ай бұрын

Cooney was also a boozer. He drank bottles of booze even while training for matches.

@paulbjarnason4696 2 ай бұрын

Could you imagine Muhammad Ali continuing to punch an opponent after he was down and out? No, Ali would have, as he always did, waved the referee in so that he could call an end to the fight. Ali did this with Jerry Quarry and with Ron Lyle, among others, even though waving in the ref gave his opponent a bit of recovery time. Ali's humanity was special.

@fishycentaur2384 6 ай бұрын

Nice video honoring two absolute legends and gentleman ambassadors for a sport that really needs more of them.

@canditaker 7 ай бұрын

Great punch jerry Cooney.. Fantastic

@justinallport9789 7 ай бұрын

Cooney mostly fought guys that were over the hill"

@MaximusWolfe 17 күн бұрын

So did Mike Tyson. The only hof fighter Tyson ever beat was Holmes 6 years after his prime.

@𝙈𝘼𝙍𝙏𝙄𝘼𝙇.𝘼𝙍𝙏.𝙋𝙇𝘼𝙉𝙀𝙏 7 ай бұрын

Love you bro 🎉❤😂

@seanfried5583 7 ай бұрын

Kenny Norton was always a class act.

@Ribble66 27 күн бұрын

Ken Norton was a man of class. Much respect.

@kid--presentable 7 ай бұрын

The year was not 1991 it was 1981

@anonymike8280 7 ай бұрын

Ken Norton was 37 and Ron Lyle was 38 at the time of their fights with Cooney, Jimmy Young was 32 at the time of the Cooney match, the only one who was still normal fighting age. Cooney was a good fighter even if he looked awkward. He went 13 rounds against Larry Holmes before the fight was stopped. He did as well against Holmes as anyone did. Cooney was around 25 or 26 when these fights took place, the peak age for a boxer. The heavyweight division in the era from the late 60s into the early 1980s was very strong and filled with boxers of great talent and charisma. Many of them came to sad ends.

@funktron4 6 ай бұрын

Young was doing well----but the cut ended it.

@tommy..980 3 ай бұрын

He was from Jacksonville Illinois he was a amazing football player and track and field star… I never heard one bad word about Kenny Norton.. Everyone said he was a very kind and humble person… I believe he is was laid to rest in Jacksonville RIP.. KN

@DragonGP 2 ай бұрын

RIP to the great Ken Norton.

@georgesouthwick7000 7 ай бұрын

And then Cooney fought Larry Holmes…….then retired.

@leftys408 7 ай бұрын

He got KO’d by Spinks and then by Foreman before hanging up his gloves.

@richardknott2021 7 ай бұрын

Cooney kept hitting Norton even when his arms were down..that was bull shit..the ref should have been fired.

@1223jamez 6 ай бұрын

I remember the Cooney/Norton match at my friend’s house in Huntington Long Island. Everybody boys and girls were cheering for Jerry Cooney! Met Jerry many times being from my hometown and he was a good guy!

@DexterHaven 2 ай бұрын

I met Ken at a local boxing event in the mid-80s in San Diego. Archie Moore was there too. It was a good boxing area. Ken was helpful and nice. He talked to fans and gave us boxing tips after the event. He told me to try shadow boxing with 5 lbs. weights in my hands, which he did.

@BoxingAfterDark 2 ай бұрын

Wow, thanks for the story. Getting to meet Norton & Moore in the same day, can't say i'm not a little bit jealous of that encounter haha

@haveabossday 7 ай бұрын

Brilliant refereeing

@renancastillolopez6033 7 ай бұрын

Cooney was a beast... Norton was horribly injured...😢

@chevy4x466 7 ай бұрын

Boxing legend. Shows what a great champ Larry Holmes was. Coney could have used more seasoning 🧂. He just didn’t have it upstairs. Otherwise he would have been a great champ

@norrisjames747 7 ай бұрын

All respect with any one that will..shall..and never stop..

@user-nq2fh8po4h 23 күн бұрын

I remember Cooneys fights. He was called the Great White Hope back in those days. There were all great fighters then.

@lindebr 7 ай бұрын

Norton and his glass jaw.

@michaelcameron2292 7 ай бұрын

Muhammad Ali would have not punched an opponent who was down like that The Greatest in every way

@dangermouse957 14 күн бұрын

Two absolute legends. If you watch Ken's fight against Ali it looks like Norton won at least one of those fights he was a true warrior as was looney.

@thomasthomas6777 6 ай бұрын

The Eastern Assassin made Cooney look like a middle schooler.

@gary1642 7 ай бұрын

A black friend of mine had his own take on GC. He mocked our group in the pub saying " us white guys waited 100 yrs for a possible heavyweight champion and when one comes along his name is Cooney". He's a prick but very funny.

@TroyBaugh-wu7ek 6 ай бұрын

That's not funny. Have some self respect, for God's sake, and remind that "prick" that all four heavyweight titles are currently held by White men. Should shut him up but fast.

@Unbothered_Brother 7 ай бұрын

Terrible ref

@hoozentroger 2 ай бұрын

He has some of the sickest body shots boxing history

@GrandChamp93 6 ай бұрын

That Father Time Is Something Serious And You Got To Respect It 💪🏾💯💯🙏🏾🕊️

@MrBradfordchild 7 ай бұрын

Fight went on at least 3 punches too long. Cooney should've stopped. This isnt MMA, dont need ref to tell you. Bad sportsmanship by Cooney.

@whocares5769 Ай бұрын

Wawawawa

@psier78 11 күн бұрын

You fight until the ref stops you. That's the ref's fault.

@joking6052 7 ай бұрын

Jerry hit Kenny with about four vicious blows while Kenny was on the canvas. Seems to me that this violation could have disqualified Jerry somehow. It was extremely unsportsmanlike behavior.

@markchapman2585 7 ай бұрын

Haha you don't know shit about boxing you go till the Ref steps in or take a knee nothing wrong with this beautiful ko.

@funktron4 6 ай бұрын

He was on the ropes. Fighters fight. If there was an oversight, that's on the referee, not Norton's opponent.

@joking6052 6 ай бұрын

@@funktron4 maybe, can't tell

@funktron4 6 ай бұрын

Looks like he was sitting on the turnbuckle. @@joking6052

@JaySelvanto 26 күн бұрын

I remember being at that fight in 1981 and being interviewed outside Madison Square Garden by a ABC News sports and being on TV that night, I guess I’ll never forget that, I was only 22 years old.

@funktron4 6 ай бұрын

Cooney wasn't exactly "unknown" at that point. He was being shown on nationally televised fights and talked about a lot in boxing magazines, etc.

@jackdaniel7465 6 ай бұрын

Rest in Peace Ken Norton!🙏

@bradjohnson8100 7 ай бұрын

May God have had mercy on Ken's soul. He was such a likable champion.

@canadianfortrump4057 7 ай бұрын

When the Norton-Cooney fight was scheduled, Larry Holmes said he asked Norton why he was fighting. Norton said 'I guess I could use the money'. That seems to be the usual reason boxers compete when they should have retired.

@tonypolito8930 24 минут бұрын

Champ Norton was and still is an amazing boxer - I wish I met Champ Ken Norton.

@bobvylan7215 6 ай бұрын

Facts. Cooney caught him,so let’s not pretend the ref got Norton beat. The ref was very slow, but it was a weird moment, where a guy was knocked out, but still up. He was not down, he was just out. There should have been a quicker notice that Ken was not responding, but he lost because his career was over, and should have been a year before 1981.

@jordanbey870 2 ай бұрын

Amazing Cooney...amazing..

@michaeldooley3396 26 күн бұрын

Damn, Norton took a ridiculous ass-kickin' 👊

@MattDief 6 ай бұрын

Norton, Young, & Lyle had their heydays in the '70s and were well past it when they fought Cooney

@jogman262 6 ай бұрын

I liked Gerry Cooney I was a fan, but those three in their prime would have given Cooney fits.

@Siaaa46 2 ай бұрын

That was hard to watch. Jerry was very underrated. Those body shots wow

@johnnybgood-ws5cu 7 ай бұрын

YOU HAVE GOT TO GET IN THERE QUICKER THAN THAT, REF., !!!

@jimred5700 4 ай бұрын

Gerry Cooney`s left hook was a truly devastating act of kinetic leverage. It engineered tremendous industrial impact. It`s repercussion`s were of immense energy/flesh ratio.

@lamountstephens7172 2 ай бұрын

Bro this guy is a very underrated boxer I wonder what cooney and Ali fight would be like 💀

@JackPeters-yk9wg Ай бұрын

Underrated.....Wicked left hook...Kenny was also a great heavyweight..Always a gentleman and a Marine veteran...

@rlawrence71 Ай бұрын

Best Mayweather performance of his career in my view. This was the action fighter and the defensive specialist perfectly balanced.

@carlmoran8740 6 ай бұрын

This is the most ridiculously titled video. Cooney was already massively hyped by the time this fight took place. He had beaten Young and Lyle and was probably the most famous active heavyweight in the world-