George Foreman and Larry Holmes are two former champions who truly changed the sport of boxing in a big way.
As two of the greatest heavyweights of all time, Foreman and Holmes have had some incredible performances in the ring.
Ranging from Foreman making history against Michael Moorer, to Holmes defeating Muhammad Ali, there was undeniable talent between the two.
Despite having some mutual fighting years between them, Foreman and Holmes never fought one another, often leading people to debate who the better fighter was.
However, one fighter who has faced both men gave his take on the comparison.
Gerry Cooney explains who he thinks was a better opponent between George Foreman and Larry Holmes
Former heavyweight title contender Gerry Cooney has shared the ring with some of the best. This includes both Foreman and Holmes.
In an interview with Boxing News, Cooney discussed the two former kings and offered his opinion on who was the better fighter. “George Foreman hit me harder but Larry [Holmes] was the best I fought by far.”
“He knew exactly what he was doing every second of our fight. It was a privilege to be in there with him,” Cooney added.
Cooney also mentioned that despite losing to Holmes, he learned a lot from the bout. “I gained so much experience in my loss to Larry.”
“He was so smart; slick, patient, calm. Though he dropped me in round two, he knew I could punch, knew there was a lot of time left. Patience, patience. I never learned that. If I clipped ya, I wanted to hurt you, take you out immediately.”
Gerry Cooney suffered defeats to both George Foreman and Larry Holmes
Despite being a top name in the heavyweight division, Cooney never became a world champion. His first opportunity at a world title came against Holmes, but he was unsuccessful.
Although the challenger had some success against Holmes, Cooney would eventually succumb to a 13th-round TKO in June 1982, as he two fought at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas.
Eight years later, Cooney would have the final fight of his career. In his last outing, Cooney would lose to Foreman.
Fighting in the Convention Center in Atlantic City, it took Foreman just two rounds to get his opponent out of the fight. Cooney retired with a professional record of 28-3, with his other loss coming to Michael Spinks.