In a battle of aging heavyweights, George Foreman continues his comeback bid against Gerry Cooney, who has not fought in two and a half years. Cooney stuns Foreman with a left hook in the second round but makes the mistake of continuing to slug it out into the second. Foreman catches him with an uppercut and a one-two that buckles Cooney's knees. Two more right hands and a left hook send Cooney collapsing along the ropes. Although he beats the count, another Foreman uppercut freezes Cooney in his tracks and leaves him easy prey to a right hand that drops him onto his face. Referee Joe Cortez doesn't bother to count and stops the fight, putting Foreman on a path toward a showdown with Heavyweight Champion Mike Tyson.

The Preacher & The Puncher: George Foreman vs. Gerry Cooney

Gerry Cooney vs Jimmy Young 

The War At The Shore: Michael Spinks vs. Gerry Cooney

The most racially charged fight in history sees WBC Heavyweight Champion Larry Holmes defend his title against "The Great White Hope" Gerry Cooney in a highly anticipated affair. Feeling slighted by the marketing campaign and the fact that the ring announcer introduces him before his challenger, Holmes drops Cooney in the second round. Cooney survives the early knockdown and makes a fight of it but loses two points in the ninth round and another one in the eleventh for low blows. Holmes staggers a bloodied Cooney in the thirteenth round, prompting the challenger to grab the ropes for support, which Referee Mills Lane rules a knockdown. Though Cooney wants to continue, his corner throws in the towel to save him from further punishment.

The Preacher & The Puncher: George Foreman vs. Gerry Cooney

Gerry Cooney vs Jimmy Young

The War At The Shore: Michael Spinks vs. Gerry Cooney

The Pride & The Glory: Larry Holmes vs. Gerry Cooney

On this Day