Former heavyweight contender Jerry Cooney never got the chance to avenge his loss. Recently deposed heavyweight champion Tyson Fury is set to get a rematch on Saturday. With his only defeat by Oleksandr Usyk and Cooney seeing a path to victory for his giants teammate – with a very big “if”.
“There were a couple of clear adjustments that Fury had to make,” said Cooney, who is now a member of the media as co-host of in the fight on SiriusXM tell boxing scene– “Fury is a good fighter and he was successful in his first fight. But he made a big mistake. He covers his face with his right hand. Great. The only thing is Usyk is a southpaw, so the way Fury raised his hand still left Usyk’s face wide open.
“He also has to go into the body. He did that in the first fight. But he got away. Come on – you can’t miss the body! Pull it in, pull it in tight. body shock Flip those punches over.
“He had to make those adjustments. And I think he can do it. And if he makes those corrections He was able to beat Usyk.
“But the question is, who showed up? Is it the Fury we know? Or is he finished? Is this just pay day? That’s the whole story for me.”
Cooney sees this as the kind of fight where we might know where it’s going in the first few rounds. Because if the 36-year-old Fury is no longer a champion Fury? It will be immediately apparent.
Overall, Cooney, one of the most talented musical heavyweights of the early 1980s, was considered by many to have failed to live up to his potential. There are mixed feelings about Fury.
“Fury’s talented,” Cooney says, “but he’s also sloppy. I mean, let’s face it, he really doesn’t. watch Like a heavyweight champion But from all of the above He is a good fighter. If he still has some left He will bring it against Usyk. I think he knows this is his last hurrah.”
Eric Raskin is a boxing journalist with more than 25 years of experience covering the sport for outlets including BoxingScene, ESPN, Grantland, Playboy, Ringside Seat and The Ring (where he was managing editor for seven years). He also co-hosts The HBO Boxing Podcast, Showtime Boxing with Raskin & Mulvaney, The Interim Champion Boxing Podcast with Raskin & Mulvaney, and Ring Theory. He has received three top writing awards from the BWAA for his work with The Ring, Grantland and Outside of HBO boxing, he is the senior editor of Casino Report and author 2014 money making effect– He can be contacted. X or Linkedinor via email at RaskinBoxing@yahoo.com
