Quotes from Gerry Cooney

I had personal problems. I was spending 50% of my life on my family, 50% on boxing. Neither was getting anywhere. It was killing me. So I had to break away from fighting.

We try to tell these guys that the end of a boxing career isn't the end of their lives: it's the beginning of a new one.

Anytime somebody climbs up those steps into the ring, they have a heart.

I've had a long, long road with lots of ups and downs. But that's all behind me now.

You have a small period of time when you can perfect your career and become good at it. A lot of guys get distracted, which only hurts them. You must stay focused and work very hard at boxing.

I grew up in a household where I learned five things from my old man. You know what they were? You're no good. You're a failure. You're not going to amount to anything. Don't trust nobody, and don't tell nobody your business. When I lost to Larry Holmes in 1982, I felt all five of those things smacked me right across the face.

I either had to concentrate on fighting, or I had to help my family. I chose my family. I love my mom; I love my family.

I don't care about the critics. I took a lot of nonsense. I got stuck with silly labels like 'White Hope.' What about other guys like Tex Cobb - they never had those labels?

I learned a lot from the Holmes fight. I learned about styles and the pressure. I'm more prepared now.

I was embarrassing against Spinks.

What hurt most were the people who came up to me and said they lost $1,000 on me. It just makes you mad.