If you look at my career, towards the end you will see I was fighting like once a year. I was not part of the Don King top heavyweights, so I was kind of kept out. His guys were getting three to four fights a year and I could only get one. Gerry Cooney More Quotes by Gerry Cooney More Quotes From Gerry Cooney All of the sports have a safety net, but boxing is the only sport that has none. Gerry Cooney safety boxing sports Gil Clancy told me to move around for six or seven rounds, but when you're a puncher and you catch someone, you got after them. And in that fight [with George Foreman in 1999] my timing was off and I got caught. Gerry Cooney six fighting moving [Michael Spinks] didn't belong in the same ring as me, but I wasn't taking good care of myself because of drink and he beat me. Gerry Cooney drink beats care Had I had another year, I think I would've beaten [ Harry Carpenter] - and Larry Holmes even said that himself; that if I'd had another year to get ready I'd have beaten him. Me and he are good friends today though, and that fight was a great moment for me. I lost, but then I had to move on and get on with my life. Gerry Cooney good-friend fighting moving The way to beat the Klitschkos is to get inside, under the jab, and bang to the body. Do that for two or three or four rounds and then the hands will come down and then you turn them over. It's like chopping a tree down. These guys try to headhunt when they fight them and that won't work. But you back them up, the younger brother especially, and he loses heart. Gerry Cooney fighting brother heart I got messed up between my fight with Ken Norton and my fight with Larry Holmes; I got messed up with alcohol. I needed at least a year more experience, with three or four more fights before I fought Holmes. But I couldn't get any fights. Don King had all the contenders, and unless I signed myself over to him, I couldn't get a fight. Gerry Cooney fighting kings years With the Klitschkos, though, unless someone comes around, they can stay where they are forever! The heavyweight division is lackluster, and it will be until someone comes along who can test them. Gerry Cooney heavyweights division forever I am a fight fan. I think boxing had its problems and kind of fell away for a while, but it's coming back strong . Gerry Cooney fighting strong thinking The past is yesterday. I'm looking forward to tomorrow. Gerry Cooney looking looking-forward tomorrow past I've had a long, long road with lots of ups and downs. But that's all behind me now. Gerry Cooney road ups-and-downs me long Am I complicated? Nah, I'm interesting. I just like having a good time. Gerry Cooney good like having-a-good-time time Boxing gave me a voice to express the anger I felt for where I came from. Gerry Cooney me boxing anger voice I'm a happy guy. I just want to see people laugh and smile. Gerry Cooney laugh smile happy people I'm easygoing. There's a place and time for everything. When that bell rings, I'm not nice and easy. I'm not meek and passive. Gerry Cooney place nice easy time I spent a lot of time dwelling on yesterday, and it did me no good. Gerry Cooney good me yesterday time I've spent most of my life in prison. I was a prisoner of my fear and my low self-esteem. Gerry Cooney my-life prison fear life Winning the Gloves made me believe I was somebody. Gerry Cooney somebody me winning believe I really don't care who I fight. Gerry Cooney dont-care fight who care Every Saturday and Sunday, when the other guys were out having a good time at the mall, I was at home working in the garden. Gerry Cooney good having-a-good-time home time You go through pain. You feel uncomfortable, uncomfortable, uncomfortable until you change. I acquired a different outlook. Gerry Cooney feel you pain change
