A New “Hope”: Gerry Cooney Vs John “Dino” Denis

By Kevin “The Voice” Kincade

The Great White Hope: I hate that phrase, really hate it; but, for better or worse, it’s a part of the boxing vocabulary and has been for over a hundred years now. Thank you, Jack London, you schmuck. Without boring you with the history of where the phrase came from, let’s just agree that it applies to any American fighter of the Caucasian persuasion, who happens to even remotely look like a potential champion, especially if he’s a heavyweight. In fact, to be considered a “Great White Hope”, you have to have some pretty outstanding credentials besides skin tone. Not just any Caucasoid can wear that “crown”. For a White fighter to be knighted with the unwanted and outdated burden of yore, he has to be well above average and a threat to beat any man in the division.

Jerry Quarry carried this burden in the late ‘60’s to mid ‘70’s. Duane Bobick briefly held this distinction until Ken Norton put the notion to rest in :58 seconds, thus, for all intents and purposes, erasing Bobick from heavyweight history. In the early 80’s, young “Gentleman” Gerry Cooney fit such a profile; but before he could climb to this somewhat ignoble distinction, he had to prove he was not just some big white dude who sported boxing gloves. He had to prove he was a quality heavyweight who was going places like any other young fighter; and to do that, he had to get by a better than average journeyman. Dino Denis was certainly better than average, though on November 9th of 1979, you wouldn’t have known it.

John Denis Vs Gerry Cooney in Madison Square Garden was, in many ways, a throwback to the deepest of boxing’s traditions. Here you had a transplanted Italian facing off against an Irishman in the heart of New York City at the Mecca of boxing, both at a crossroads, one trying to prove he was on the way up, the other trying to prove he wasn’t on the way down.

At one time, Denis, now 35-2-1, 15 KO’s was an up-and-comer. He’d beaten two former title challengers in Terry Daniels and Jose “King” Roman and current perennial contender, Scott LeDoux, who had just drawn with comebacking former WBC Champ Ken Norton back in August; but that was a long time ago in boxing years. Since his win over the “Fighting Frenchman” in June of ’76, he walked smack-dab into George Foreman and a 4th Round TKO in October of that year, followed by an 8th Round decision loss to undefeated contender, Leroy Jones in March of ‘77.

The 28 year old Denis had been handled carefully after suffering those two back to back losses with his last seven opponents having a combined record of 91 wins with 84 losses. The 6’ 6” Cooney had just turned 23 a few months prior and sported an undefeated record of 20-0, 16 KO’s. If “Dino” couldn’t pull his fat out of the fire against this gentle giant with the wrecking ball of a left hook, he might as well start looking for other forms of employment.

Gerry Cooney had had a very good amateur career, winning international tournaments in Wales and Scotland as well as two New York Golden Gloves championships. His size and power had served him well in the pros, thus far; but against relatively light opposition. Denis had the kind of experience, size, and skills to find out if the 23 year old had what it took.

Dino’s style was also a nice contrast to Cooney’s. Gerry was a stalker while Denis was a boxer. He had done relatively well against Foreman before the thunder landed; and with only 15 knockouts on his resume, he didn’t pose an immediate threat to the young charge, while presenting a challenge, a puzzle to be solved.

The first round was an expected “feeling out” process with not much action. Dino stayed on the outside, while Gerry probed with his jab. Gerry looked “left heavy”. It was obvious he was trying to set Dino up for his money punch and Denis knew it. Dino came in at just a hair over 214 to Gerry’s 222, so he didn’t have much of an advantage in speed and his previous mobility seemed to have slowed. Midway through the round, Cooney opened up a cut alongside John’s eye. The round ended without much action; but Cooney probably took it with his aggression.

Whatever butterflies the Long Island resident might have felt in his first foray into the limelight seemed to have disappeared by the start of round 2. He came out of his corner with a look of determination on his face that hadn’t been there before. Dino also appeared to be ready to go to work and moved into closer quarters. Whether he was looking to set the young man up for something stout, we never got to see, for early in the 2nd, Gerry landed his left with Denis against the ropes. The effect was immediate and obvious as Denis’ legs went all rubbery.

Smelling blood, as well as seeing it, Cooney opened up with a barrage which drove Denis around the ring, who was using all of his savvy to stay out of range until his head cleared. Again and again you could hear the thudding left land to the body and occasionally to the head. Cooney’s right had the appearance of a useless parrying tool. He pawed with it and snapped it out only occasionally as one would a weak jab; but whenever Dino came into range, you could see Gerry lean down to his left like a giant spring coiling to suddenly explode, using his huge frame to crank out a vicious left hook to the body or the head.

Late in the round, Denis’ head began to clear and as Cooney was coming in, he unloaded a tremendous left hook right cross combo which visibly shook the bigger man and caused him to retreat for the first time in the fight, slowly backing away towards his own corner. The end of the round came seconds later. Denis walked on wobbly legs back to his corner, cleric flowing freely from around his eyes.

The third began with both men meeting at ring center. Denis seemed determined to land the same combo again which got the younger man in trouble towards the end of the last round. Fighting more with heart than smarts, he began punching with the puncher, which was his undoing. Somewhere in the middle of an exchange, Cooney landed a picture perfect left hook which nearly decapitated Denis, sending him crashing to the canvas as if he’d been shot. The referee didn’t allow him to continue, though, somehow he fought to his feet. Staring into a face covered in blood, Tony Perez called a halt to it as Gerry Cooney joined George Foreman as the only two men to stop John “Dino” Denis; and in better time than George did only three years before.

A new star was on the rise in the heavyweight division as young Gerry Cooney had passed his first test with flying colors. Unfortunately for Gerry, another spark was ignited through no fault of his own. A shadow which had lingered in the heavyweight ranks since the days of Jack Johnson and Jack London’s perverted call to arms so many years ago. This spark would not face fruition until the young man had taken on even tougher opposition and passed more tests as he worked his way up the ladder; but make no mistake about it, somewhere in the hearts of his old fans and new fans made,

Hope was kindled.

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