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By Thomas Gerbasi - The men on Larry Holmes’ list of victims speak volumes: Muhammad Ali, Ken Norton, Earnie Shavers, Ray Mercer, Mike Weaver, Gerry Cooney, just to name a few. But when talking to the former heavyweight champion, he’ll be the first to admit that if he didn’t beat Roy “Tiger” Williams in April of 1976, there might not have been a Larry Holmes in the Hall of Fame, enshrined with the greats of the game.
“They’d put me back in the closet,” Holmes said. “If I don’t beat Roy Williams, they throw me away.”
Owner of a 21-0 record at the time, the 26-year-old Holmes was a top prospect, albeit one who had a scarlet letter on his back after losing to Duane Bobick in the 1972 Olympic trials.
“I was not gonna make it,” Holmes recalled, citing the talk going around during those days. “I’m a waste of time. I’m a copy of Muhammad Ali. There’s no way that Larry Holmes will become heavyweight champion of the world. No way.”
On April 5, 1976, Holmes picked up his 21st win at the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland, stopping Fred Askew in two rounds. After the fight, Holmes traveled back home to Easton, Pennsylvania and enjoyed the fruits of his labor. Two weeks before the end of that month, he got a phone call from his promoter.
“I was out partying and Don King called me and said you got a fight, you gotta get here to Maryland,” Holmes recalled. Then he asked King who the fight was against.
“You’re gonna fight Roy Williams.”
“Like s**t,” Holmes responded. “I’m not gonna fight Roy Williams. I ain’t ready or in shape to fight Roy Williams.” [Click Here To Read More]
“They’d put me back in the closet,” Holmes said. “If I don’t beat Roy Williams, they throw me away.”
Owner of a 21-0 record at the time, the 26-year-old Holmes was a top prospect, albeit one who had a scarlet letter on his back after losing to Duane Bobick in the 1972 Olympic trials.
“I was not gonna make it,” Holmes recalled, citing the talk going around during those days. “I’m a waste of time. I’m a copy of Muhammad Ali. There’s no way that Larry Holmes will become heavyweight champion of the world. No way.”
On April 5, 1976, Holmes picked up his 21st win at the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland, stopping Fred Askew in two rounds. After the fight, Holmes traveled back home to Easton, Pennsylvania and enjoyed the fruits of his labor. Two weeks before the end of that month, he got a phone call from his promoter.
“I was out partying and Don King called me and said you got a fight, you gotta get here to Maryland,” Holmes recalled. Then he asked King who the fight was against.
“You’re gonna fight Roy Williams.”
“Like s**t,” Holmes responded. “I’m not gonna fight Roy Williams. I ain’t ready or in shape to fight Roy Williams.” [Click Here To Read More]
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