Gentleman Gerry by Gerry Cooney

Author:Gerry Cooney
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: undefined
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Published: 2012-02-28T16:00:00+00:00

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Gerry’s Irish roots connected him to some of boxing’s most historic figures, including Jack Dempsey, James J. Braddock, and John L. Sullivan, widely recognized as the first modern world heavyweight champion. Rather than centering discussions on pride in Gerry’s heritage, the media focused on race. The “Great White Hope” fever, as was the case during Jack Johnson’s reign, captured the boxing world’s attention.

Sadly, the “Great White Hope” focus also connected to the core dynamics that fuel societal racial divides, thus providing fertile ground for the promoters to exploit tensions and generate the public’s interest. A small minority of Gerry’s zealous supporters, those who made Gerry a champion of the white race against his will, used the fight against Holmes as a battleground for their distorted belief systems. Gerry, whose sole investment in the outcome was the realization of his championship dreams, was uncomfortable with this aspect of the bout. Not only was the media centered on the issue, but Gerry started receiving mail from the Ku Klux Klan.

Vigorously discarding race-centered communications without consideration, Gerry found the clarity of mind necessary to properly prepare for his championship shot. He was surrounding himself with friends, training hard and playing hard, traveling, eating, joking, and fully living his life. Gerry had fans with dire health conditions, and he would entertain them. He grew up in pain his whole life, and he loved helping others forget theirs, if only for the day. These interactions fed him, kept Gerry alive.

The race talk surrounding the fight was never a part of his focus. Gerry just wanted to live and fight to make his dream a reality.

Chapter 14

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