Was Larry Holmes made bitter by the lack of respect

[sonnyboyx2]

Was Larry Holmes made bitter by the lack of respect he got or would he have always been outspoken and and bitter regardless?

I get the feeling Larry would of loved to have been embraced and that he wouldn't of been as outspoken as he was if he had gotten his props that he deserved from the get go.

I think it made him bitter but by the same token i guess you could say it also drove him onto be great.

What do you think?

interesting topic... i read Holmes Autobiography "Against The Odds" around 10yrs or so ago and i feel he has been bitter all his career, he is bitter because Howard Cosell labelled him as a weak-chinned fighter who would not make it to the top, he calls Cosell everything in his book... IMO Holmes has always been bitter but alot of what he says is the truth, yet i cannot go along with his claim that he is the best ever, he is fringe ATG Top 12

[EzzardFan]

I think he made the best of the era he operated in. I totally respect him for the sheer volume of title defences.

The boxers Larry fought were not in the same league as the guys that were around in the 70s IMO. That's not to say that Larry wouldn't have been equally effective a decade earlier, he probably would have been.

I also found Larry boring to watch. He's not my type of fighter. I like watching swarmers and also exciting technical boxers. I don't dispute that Homes was technical but he was far from exciting. He preferred to stay on the outside of his jab.

His personality also came across as very abrasive when he was younger. True that also improved with age.

I don't take issue with him beating Ali. We all know that Larry didn't want that fight. I do however take issue with his decision over Ken Norton. IMO Norton deserved to win that fight.

[sonnyboyx2]

I think he made the best of the era he operated in. I totally respect him for the sheer volume of title defences.

The boxers Larry fought were not in the same league as the guys that were around in the 70s IMO. That's not to say that Larry wouldn't have been equally effective a decade earlier, he probably would have been.

I also found Larry boring to watch. He's not my type of fighter. I like watching swarmers and also exciting technical boxers. I don't dispute that Homes was technical but he was far from exciting. He preferred to stay on the outside of his jab.

His personality also came across as very abrasive when he was younger. True that also improved with age.

I don't take issue with him beating Ali. We all know that Larry didn't want that fight. I do however take issue with his decision over Ken Norton. IMO Norton deserved to win that fight.

i agree with all you say and IMO Norton won that fight

[Dynamite Kid]

I think he made the best of the era he operated in. I totally respect him for the sheer volume of title defences.

The boxers Larry fought were not in the same league as the guys that were around in the 70s IMO. That's not to say that Larry wouldn't have been equally effective a decade earlier, he probably would have been.

I also found Larry boring to watch. He's not my type of fighter. I like watching swarmers and also exciting technical boxers. I don't dispute that Homes was technical but he was far from exciting. He preferred to stay on the outside of his jab.

His personality also came across as very abrasive when he was younger. True that also improved with age.

I don't take issue with him beating Ali. We all know that Larry didn't want that fight. I do however take issue with his decision over Ken Norton. IMO Norton deserved to win that fight.

I have a lot of respect for Larry Holmes and i like his personality, yes he is a bit bitter but i think he was a really down to earth guy, thats the impression i got anyway.

I agree he was not particularly exciting though, infact he was pretty boring at times. Homles did have some good fights that i would watch over and over again though........Norton,Shavers 2,Weaver 2,Williams and a few others but yeah he was a bit boring overall imo.


Hey sonnyboyx2 did he say something derogatory about Butterbean in his book? the reason i ask is because i was watching an interview with him where they asked him why he did not get on with Butterbean and referred to something Larry had said about him in a book.

[EzzardFan]

One thing I'll say abut Holmes... everyone says how great his jab was, and I don't dispute that although I think Liston's was better... but his uppercut - WOW! He was the master of that punch, at least among his fellow heavyweights.

[TheGreatA]

One thing I'll say abut Holmes... everyone says how great his jab was, and I don't dispute that although I think Liston's was better... but his uppercut - WOW! He was the master of that punch, at least among his fellow heavyweights.

Agreed. Holmes's uppercut turned the tide in many of his fights. The jab was brilliant but jabs didn't KO his opponents, outside of Ossie Ocasio of course...

The uppercut played a major part in most of his stoppages.

[TheGreatA]

[Dynamite Kid]

Agreed. Holmes's uppercut turned the tide in many of his fights. The jab was brilliant but jabs didn't KO his opponents, outside of Ossie Ocasio of course...

The uppercut played a major part in most of his stoppages.

Yep turn the Weaver fight on its head.

[GJC]

Think Holmes just had that kind of make up.
He had a tough act to follow after Ali but so did Ezzard Charles after Louis.

[Bigdaddy_Vh]

i think Holmes was bitter at times and came across to many as an ******* but, as many have said here, Larry was real and you cannot take that from him. It wasnt showboating or trying to get attention, imo. It was him being who he was.