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Gerry Cooney (Born August 4, 1956) was a
boxing|boxer from Manhattan, New York, who
carried, perhaps on the same level as Max
Schmeling, what could have been one of the
unfairest labels in the history of boxing.

After an amateur career that saw him win
international tournaments in England, Wales and
Scotland as well as a New York Golden Gloves title
and have a record of 55 wins and 3 losses, Cooney
decided to turn professional, being signed by
promoter Don King.

Cooney's first paid fight came on February 15 of
1977, beating Billy Jackson (boxer)|Billy Jackson
by a knockout in one round in New York. Nine more
wins followed and Cooney started gaining fame as a
future contender. Then he stepped up in class and
fought future world Cruiserweight champion ST
Gordon in Las Vegas, winning by a fourth round
disqualification. Cooney's star kept on rising
with 11 more wins in a row, spanning 1978 and
1979. Among the people he beat were former George
Foreman victim Charlie Polite, The former United
States Heavyweight champion Eddie Lopez (The
Animal), and Tom Prater.

When 1980 came, Cooney was already being featured
on national television and rising some national
attention. He beat title challengers Jimmy Young
(boxer)|Jimmy Young and Ron Lyle, both by
knockout. By this time, he was ranked number 1 in
the World Boxing Council|WBC and challenging Larry
Holmes into a fight.

In 1981, he beat former world Heavyweight champion
Ken Norton by a knockout in the first in front of
a Madison Square Garden crowd and Home Box
Office|HBO cameras. 

Then 1982 came and Cooney's life changed. Holmes
agreed to fight him, with a purse of one million
dollars for the challenger. Cooney, who was
attempting to become the first white World
Heavyweight champion in 23 years, was, perhaps
unwillingly, involved in the middle of a promotion
that took racial overtunes, as Don King nicknamed
him The Great White Hope. The fight then took a
circus atmosphere, and many boxing fans worldwide
became interested. In what would be one of the
biggest HBO Boxing productions in history, the
fight was broadcast to over 150 countries around
the world.

Cooney lost his bid to become World Heavyweight
champion by a knockout in 13 rounds (see:Larry
Holmes vs. Gerry Cooney), and took off one year.
Finally, when he was set to come back in late
1983, he got cut during sparring and had to lay
off for another year.

In September of 1984 he finally stepped into the
ring again, beating Phillip Brown by a knockout in
4 rounds in New Orleans. He fought one more time
and won, but personal problems took him away from
the ring again. 

In 1987, he made a one fight comeback to meet
former World Heavyweight champion Michael Spinks,
losing by a knockout in five rounds, and in 1990,
in Cooney's last fight, he lost in two rounds to
former world  champion Foreman.

In what could be considered an ironic twist,
Cooney began an organization which has helped
boxers get jobs after they retired. This could be
called ironic, because among the boxers Cooney's
organization has helped, many of them are, black.
Cooney has always tried to distance himself from
the racial overtones the promotion towards his
fight with Holmes had, and he and Holmes have
become very good friends over the years.

Gerry Cooney started the FIST Foundation two years
after Alex Ramos, a Puerto Rican who won the
United States Middleweight title in the 1980s,
started the Retired Boxers Foundation,
www.retiredboxer.org, the first organization to
assist retired professional boxers in the
transition from their glorious days in the ring.
Cooney also enjoys signing autographs for the
people who remember him.

Cooney compiled a professional record of 28 wins
and 3 losses, with 25 knockouts.