A rematch of one of heavyweight boxing’s most hyped championship fights is in the works — nearly 38 years later.
Larry Holmes and Gerry Cooney are in talks to relive the June 11, 1982, Caesars Palace brawl, the two pugilists told the Daily News. Famed boxing promoter Lou DiBella is helping put the exhibition together.
Cooney “would like to get a hold of me, you know that,” former champ Holmes said from his Easton, Pa., home Friday.
The idea of a playful rematch came to Holmes when he and his wife were recently watching the 2006 film “Rocky Balboa,” where the sexagenarian fighter played by Sylvester Stallone returned to the square circle for one last bout. That got the couple to thinking.
“My wife wants me to get back into shape,” Holmes laughed. “You know how it is, when you get older you get fat.”
In Holmes’ first meeting with Cooney, the now 70-year-old former champion entered the fight with a record of 38-0 and successfully defended his title against the 25-0 underdog from Long Island.
Holmes and Cooney, now 63, went on to become good pals after their 1982 brawl, which ended with the challenger’s corner throwing in the towel in the 13th round to protect their sporting, but overmatched, fighter.
“After our fight everyone picked on him except me,” said Holmes. “I called him and said ‘Get out of the house.’ “
Cooney was bothered that his first fight with Holmes was hyped as a black versus white thing. He was pleasantly surprised when Holmes came to him after the Las Vegas battle to say that wasn’t what he wanted either.
“Larry said, ‘Listen, that’s just people talking, that’s not us,'” Cooney recalled.
The 6-foot-6 southpaw has since come to think of Holmes as a good friend and one of the greatest fighters of all time. But that doesn’t mean they don’t have unfinished business.
“I’ve been waiting 37 years to straighten this thing out,” Cooney laughed. “I don’t know for the life of me why we didn’t have a rematch. I learned so much from that fight.”
Cooney said if he beats Holmes in their long-awaited encore, Holmes may find himself having to wait indefinitely for a tie-breaking third fight.
Superpromoter DiBella was brought into the mix this week when a mutual friend called to tell him Holmes was interested in picking a fight with his former rival.
DiBella, who coaxes Rocky into coming out of retirement in his “Rocky Balboa” cameo, said he’d only be involved with a Holmes-Clooney “rematch” if both fighters were cleared by physicians, wore headgear and agreed that this will be a lighthearted spectacle benefiting charity. Some proceeds from Holmes-Cooney II will benefit Holmes’ Heart of a Legend organization.
“I know it seems wackadoodle, but they’re not looking to kill each other,” DiBella said. “I think these guys want to have some fun and they want another moment with each other in the spotlight. They’ve been talking about it for years.”
DiBella can’t imagine anyone would wager on a Holmes-Cooney rematch and he doesn’t want to see either fighter looking to score a knockout blow. He imagines this good-natured exhibition as part of an undercard to a bigger event. DiBella also hopes the bout will inspire seniors to hit the gym, even if that means pulling punches as the years go by.
“Boxing isn’t a game, it’s an unforgiving sport,” he said.
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