Comments Thread For: Larry Holmes Turns 70, Has One Wish: To Be Introduced at a Boxing Show

[Oldskoolg]

My top ten:
1. Ali
2. Louis
3. Holmes
4. Holyfield
5. Foreman
6. Lewis
7. Johnson
8. Frazier
9. Tunney
10. Marciano

Larry Holmes is one of the greatest heavyweights who ever lived and I vividly remember watching all of his championship fights as a younger lad. And I thought he got hosed both spinks fights

[Dip_Slide]

Larry Holmes, top 5 all time heavyweight without a doubt and is my absolute favorite heavyweight of all time. Best jab in the business!

Whenever Wilder fights Fury or the winner of Joshua-Ruiz, they need to introduce that man to the world for the legend that he is. He's one of the last mohicas of the golden era of heavyweight boxing.

[Jab jab boom]

Holmes may be the most underappreciated fighters ever. His hw reign was incredible, and his return to the sport to beat an undefeated ray mercer is one of the biggest upsets that also gets overlooked.

[elfag]

You are correct.
Much of Ali's Parknson's was due to Holmes. He could have won w.o. doing that. And he lies about it ever since.

Ali already had parkinsons before Holmes.

Its pure speculation if Holmes made it worse or not. It didnt help, but you cant say it caused most of his parkinsons. Its a progressive disease and Ali would have continued deteriorating even if he retired before Holmes.

[lion33lit]

Perhaps. However, a "shot" Holmes beat Ray Mercer and gave Evander Holyfield a good fight four years after being knocked out cold by Tyson. No one else did that to Holmes, even when he was decrepit.

I agree on Holmes underrated. But no one can say that Tyson was overrated because he never fulfilled his potential, which was huge. We owe this to Don King, one should say.

Curious how people keep justifying Holmes' loss to Tyson with his two-year retirement, then call Tyson overrated on the basis of the final part of his career, where he was physically and mentally finished due to drugs and alcohol.

Well said!

[lion33lit]

Some people here don't like facts, you see. According to them, Holmes was dead at 38.

Oh, and I won't even mention Michael Spinks defeating Holmes twice, and losing to Tyson in 91 seconds... Or Carl Williams giving Holmes fits, and being wiped out in half a round by Tyson a little later.

Ah, right, I forgot. Tyson is overrated.

So true, Holmes had that “stand straight up” style that was overly reliant on the jab. Now there is nothing wrong with that choice of style if it works in an era where everyone in your division did the same thing - with Holmes being the best at it. But that style was Mikes easiest style to overcome. “Styles make fights,” and Holmes style was always there for the dismantling - imo, even a prime Holmes would have got the business from Tyson.

Everyone in Holmes era were bootleg versions of Ali - including Holmes to some degree. He was sooo angry taking 2nd place to Ali that when they fought he tried to take Ali’s head off! He was so jealous that he thought he was fighting the Sonny Liston version of Ali.

Holmes learned A LOT from Ali but Mr. Bitter would never let the world know that! Sugar Ray Leonard would have you know he was inspired by Ali in all areas and used that style in his own way to become VERY successful. Holmes is in a friggin bubble where he believes he did everything on his own without admiring anybody or any era of past greats....Mike ADMIRED everyone from Jack Dempsey to Ali....I could on & on.

Even though Rocky Marciano wasn’t particularly “skilled,” he had the heart of a LION! I believe he would’ve got his butt kicked by Holmes, but it doesn’t take away from the notion that if Rocky could’ve learned more of the craft from modern day craftsman, he would’ve/could've done so and probably would’ve been better. Different eras can also mean limited knowledge to the game....Holmes was good, but Mr. Arrogance needs to learn some humility - it can work wonders in his life..

[buge]

Anyone who doesn't think Holmes was a great fighter, or didn't have heart, or whatever, needs to watch this one round.

[IMG][/IMG]

I don't know why anyone would think Holmes wasn't a great fighter, but why would that particular round prove anything? Holmes looked like a rock'em sock'em robot, little to no head movement or defense, just winging punches back and forth with Norton.

[Chaos]

He's delusional. He gets upset that Ali is ranked higher than him because he beat a shot punch-drunk Ali, but ignores the fact that Tyson knocked both him and the guy who beat him twice (Spinks) out cold.

He's hard to like cause he has no idea how to show respect. You rarely if ever hear Tyson talk smack about fighters from the past. When's the last time Holmes had something good to say about anyone?

[lion33lit]

Interviewer: Good day Mr. Holmes, can you tell us where you learned the sport of boxing and who your influences were/are?

Holmes: “I learned from NO ONE, I’m the best! I created the jab! One day after I woke up, at around age 5, I started jabbing uncontrollably in the direction of an Easton PA boxing gym! I was led to it by a vagrant that was glowing on E 53rd st & Tremont Ave! I then heard a voice that said ‘you are boxing’s chosen one!’.....Ta hell with anyone who don’t believe me! The whole world can carry my used jockstrap and used razor blades!!!

[archiemoore1]

Its a shame holmes doesn't get more respect. If you really break it down prime vs. prime, you can't really say clearly that any other heavyweight was better than him. You can argue and say who would have beaten him or who would have given him hell, etc, but you can clearly say any heavyweight in their prime was better than him in his prime