Gerry Cooney?s left hook helped him compile a 28-3 record with 21 knockouts. George Foreman and Larry Holmes said it was the most powerful punch they had ever felt.
Yet Cooney lost to Holmes by a technical knockout for the World Boxing Council heavyweight championship in 1982.
Since he retired in 1990, Cooney founded Fighters? Initiative for Support and Training, or FIST, an organization that helps retired boxers. He also supports the Hands Are Not for Hitting program, which works to prevent domestic violence.
Cooney, 54, hosts the weekly ?Friday Night at the Fights?on Sirius XM radio. He recently attended a reception for ?Lights Out,? the boxing drama series on FX. JOE BRESCIA
Q. Do you think boxing can become popular again?
A. I think it?s coming back now. On my radio show people still want to talk about it. I see the interest. There are a lot of great fights coming up. Vitali Klitschko and Odlanier Solis will be an exciting heavyweight match. Bernard Hopkins and Jean Pascal will have a light-heavyweight championship rematch.
Q. Why has the sport struggled?
A. I think that boxing has been raped and robbed by the promoters and managers for so many years that many of the fighters and the fans lost heart. Fans spend hard-earned money to go see a fight or watch on pay-per-view, and then they see a fighter that should win but he doesn?t because of a bad decision.
Q. There was a lot of animosity when you faced Larry Holmes. How do you get along now?
A. We get along fine now. Don King pumped some things into his head to make him angry. Now we both do a lot of charity work together. We?re happy to just be around and well.
Q. Do you think mixed martial arts has taken some of the attention from boxing, not to mention potential fighters?
A. It has some appeal. But the human body cannot be taking knees to the skull and elbows to the face. You can?t last long in that sport. I don?t know how long it?s going to last.
Q. How is your health?
A. I?m fine. Once in a while, I?ll have to go back inside the house before I leave because I forgot something. But we all have that problem. The important thing is I?m down to a 6 handicap.
Q. Do you have any ideas to make boxing safer?
A. Boxers are monitored pretty well now, so it?s better. But what they really need to do is have officials in the boxing gyms. That?s where the guys are getting hurt. In Philadelphia, they fight wars in the gym. And they?re not even getting paid. They need a boxing official on staff in gyms. Don?t let these guys keep slugging it out, taking all those punches. And you must have better matchmaking. You can?t have a guy that?s 38-1 fighting a guy that?s 3-67.
Q. What is your opinion of Mike Tyson?
A. People feel sorry for him. I don?t. When you get to be around 27, you have to realize it?s almost over. You have to start to protect yourself. He never did that. So he lost everything. He made $300 million. And he?s broke.
Q. Evander Holyfield is 48 and still fighting. Are you in shape to challenge him?
A. He?s fighting guys that I don?t think can hurt him. But he?s a warrior without a war. He can?t turn the page. My advice to him is move on with your life. Everyone has to do it. If he called me, I?d tell him I?m having fun on the golf course.
Q. What boxers do you enjoy watching now?
A. Manny Pacquiao is the most enjoyable guy to watch. I like Floyd Mayweather. The little guys are holding the sport up now.
Q. You did not want to fight for King. Do you regret that decision?
A. It hurt me . He owned all the heavyweights. When I would not sign with him, he never let me fight them.
Q. What would you have done differently in your career?
A. I would have fought more. My management wanted the big payday. So instead of getting me fights between Ken Norton and Holmes, I sat out for 13 months.
Q. Who was the hardest puncher you faced?
A. Larry Holmes was the best fighter, but George Foreman was the hardest puncher. I hurt him with a body shot and a left hook on the chin in the first round. In fact, he told Johnny Carson that it was the strongest punch that ever hit him. But then I got caught with a right uppercut, and that was it.
