Title/Author:
“Gentleman Gerry: A
Contender in the Ring, A Champion in Recovery” by Gerry Cooney with John Grady
Tags:
Boxing, professional, memoir
Publish date:
June 12, 2019
Length:
344 pages
Rating:
4 of 5 stars (very
good)
Review:
Gerry Cooney was one of the most
exciting contenders for the heavyweight boxing title in the early 1980’s. This was during an era when that title was
one of the most prestigious in all of sports. While there was much written in newspapers
about his rise to contender, his loss to one of the greatest champions, Larry
Holmes, and his subsequent lack of bouts, there was an inner darkness in Cooney’s
life. That darkness is addressed, as well
as his career, in this memoir written with John Grady.
As a youngster, Cooney suffered abuse,
both physically and mentally, from his father. When he became a teenager, Gerry
(which is what he is called throughout the book – never “Cooney”) sought refuge
in boxing. That became a wise choice as he had a very successful amateur career
which translated into similar success in the professional ranks, culminating in
a bout for the heavyweight championship with Larry Holmes. While Holmes won the
bout with a technical knockout in the 15th and final round, Cooney won
much praise for his performance. However, he had very few fights after that one
for reasons varying from his lack of trust of promoter Don King to his managing
team looking for bigger paydays, to Cooney’s personal battle with alcohol and
drug addiction.
The latter issue plays a very big
role in the shaping of Cooney’s story, as well as the abuse he took from his
father as that is mentioned throughout the book. At times, the same points are repeated
multiple times, but they are included to illustrate how much these issues
affected Cooney in his personal and professional life. Grady’s background as a
mental health and addiction counselor provides valuable insight into the
troubles Cooney faced. With the balance of material on both Cooney’s personal
and professional lives, this is a very good book for fans of boxing or memoirs.
I wish to thank Rowman and
Littlefield for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an
honest review.
Book Format Read:
E-book (Kindle)
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