Was Larry Holmes….”The Greatest”?

[K-DOGG]

Science my friend.....When Tyson hits you......you stay down. A prime Tyson had a fire in his eyes, a look that said, "Im gonna kill you." He just straight out broke people. He also had the best conner you could ask for until after the spinks fight. A young Mike just refused to lose.

I Pick prime Tyson to beat prime Holmes by UD.

We're just going to have to agree to disagree. I can't see it. The Larry Holmes that beat Gerry Cooney, for instance, wasn't in his prime any more but was as focused on a task as a man could be. I just can't see Mike beating that man because Larry wouldn't care about Mike's intimidation tactics. You couldn't intimidate a prime Holmes cause he was a badass. No, he didn't have the same explosiveness as Mike..not even close; but he had the "I'm gonna Kick your ass" attitude all over....and had the tools to back it up and take you apart in pieces slowly down the stretch, like a sadistic kid pulling the wings off a fly. Larry was a badass in his prime with a big ass chip on his shoulder. He was afraid of no man.

[Easy-E]

I guess that's why Bert Sugar and just about every other Boxing historian has Johnson in the top 3. He had one of the greatest defenses in the sport. Not to mention one of the hardest counter punches(Stanly Ketchel came up missing some teeth after one).

Jack Johnson overcame the odds. He became the Baddest man on the planet at a time when black people where wrongly treated as second class citzens. Jack Johnson is truly one of the greatest. Hell, he was still winning fights in his 50's! 82-14-11 isnt a bad record either. Seeing how almost all those losses wheree in his early teens and mid 50's. He also had an 11 year unbeaten streak.

I honestly couldnt give a **** what Burt Sugar thinks. Johnson is an all time great and accomplished alot, but he didnt accomplish as much, or have half the skills of many others. I watched a Jack Johnson fight this weekend, and all he did was clinch and punch the smaller man. It wasnt impressive, and his skills were not refined by any means. Many heavyweights would have eaten him up.

[BKM-]

We're just going to have to agree to disagree. I can't see it. The Larry Holmes that beat Gerry Cooney, for instance, wasn't in his prime any more but was as focused on a task as a man could be. I just can't see Mike beating that man because Larry wouldn't care about Mike's intimidation tactics. You couldn't intimidate a prime Holmes cause he was a badass. No, he didn't have the same explosiveness as Mike..not even close; but he had the "I'm gonna Kick your ass" attitude all over....and had the tools to back it up and take you apart in pieces slowly down the stretch, like a sadistic kid pulling the wings off a fly. Larry was a badass in his prime with a big ass chip on his shoulder. He was afraid of no man.

You dont hold any of Holmes' losses against him even when he was a little bit past his prime, but lost to what you called ''a light heavyweight with a little bit flesh'' beat Larry Holmes TWICE. He lost TWICE to a Light Heavyweight with a little bit flesh. HE went 48-0 and was gonna break Marciano's streak, but he lost to a Light Heavyweight with a little bit flesh..TWICE.

Tyson on the other hand, lost to a Buster Douglass who fought like one of the greatest HWs ever, and he was only 1 second(James' obese ass was on the canvas for a while though) away from getting back to win. Tyson never lost twice to a light heavyweight with a little bit flesh..even past his prime.

Anyway, what im trying to say is, you barely hold anything against Holmes but you do against Tyson.

And no matter how much you love Larry Holmes, you have to admit Tyson did something no one else ever did. He knocked him out. Holmes fought at a MUCH MUCH worse shape in his life like when he got really old, but he was never ko'd. Tyson deserves credit for that win.

[K-DOGG]

You dont hold any of Holmes' losses against him even when he was a little bit past his prime, but lost to what you called ''a light heavyweight with a little bit flesh'' beat Larry Holmes TWICE. He lost TWICE to a Light Heavyweight with a little bit flesh. HE went 48-0 and was gonna break Marciano's streak, but he lost to a Light Heavyweight with a little bit flesh..TWICE.

Tyson on the other hand, lost to a Buster Douglass who fought like one of the greatest HWs ever, and he was only 1 second(James' obese ass was on the canvas for a while though) away from getting back to win. Tyson never lost twice to a light heavyweight with a little bit flesh..even past his prime.

Anyway, what im trying to say is, you barely hold anything against Holmes but you do against Tyson.

And no matter how much you love Larry Holmes, you have to admit Tyson did something no one else ever did. He knocked him out. Holmes fought at a MUCH MUCH worse shape in his life like when he got really old, but he was never ko'd. Tyson deserves credit for that win.

Larry was 35 with 48 pro fights under his belt when he fought Spinks the first time. He was an old man then; but he did underestimate a great Light Heavyweight who had a great game plan. Spinks outsped Larry Holmes. Larry should have trained harder for that fight, IMO. The second loss to Spinks was an out and out robbery like Lewis-Holyfield I. Ask anybody. Larry didn't lose the second Spinks fight; the judges stole it from him.

[K-DOGG]

As far as the Tyson KO of Holmes. Yes, Mike does deserve credit for it and I do give him his props for doing what no one else ever did; but the fact is Larry was 38 and coming off a two year layoff.

[Mike Tyson77]

I honestly couldnt give a **** what Burt Sugar thinks. Johnson is an all time great and accomplished alot, but he didnt accomplish as much, or have half the skills of many others. I watched a Jack Johnson fight this weekend, and all he did was clinch and punch the smaller man. It wasnt impressive, and his skills were not refined by any means. Many heavyweights would have eaten him up.

Did he win that fight? YES. Many heavyweights would have got eaten up by him. Jack Johnson would beat Ali, Louis, Holmes, anyone. Ali even said Johnson was the greatest. He admired Johnson. And for 8 years he shook the world, no one even got close to him. You dont what he went through just to get a title shot. They should made a movie about him instead of James Braddock.

[SquareCircle]

Science my friend.....When Tyson hits you......you stay down. .

At least, that's what Tyson hopes

If you get back up he'll quit

[K-DOGG]

Actually, that knock-out is one of the reasons I rank Mike higher than Evander Holyfield, who I feel is overrated by many. Evander was great; but he wasn't as great of a world champion as Mike. When Evander beat Mike both were past their primes and Evander is the type of fighter who ages slower. Mike would have been past his best at age 30 with or without prison. I wish Mike and Evander had fought in 1991 when Mike was still in his prime and Holy was in his. It might have gone the same way; but...it might not have.

[K-DOGG]

Did he win that fight? YES. Many heavyweights would have got eaten up by him. Jack Johnson would beat Ali, Louis, Holmes, anyone. Ali even said Johnson was the greatest. He admired Johnson. And for 8 years he shook the world, no one even got close to him. You dont what he went through just to get a title shot. They should made a movie about him instead of James Braddock.

They did and a play. "The Great White Hope" staring James Earl Jones.

[Mike Tyson77]

At least, that's what Tyson hopes

If you get back up he'll quit

Man, Tyson only quit in one fight. In all the others he fought hard to the end. He won rounds in all his losses.