How do you rate Larry Holmes as a heavyweight champ?

[JimRaynor]

Holmes is in the top 10. A lot of people will criticize his competition as being weak, too old, or out of their prime, but the truth is Holmes was just that good.

[emceetns]

Holmes is in the top 10. A lot of people will criticize his competition as being weak, too old, or out of their prime, but the truth is Holmes was just that good.

It's funny because people have always criticized dominant champions:

1. Joe Louis had the so-called "bum of the month" club

2. Rocky Marciano only beat old fighters (Joe Walcott, Ezzard Charles, Joe Louis) and he ducked Sonny Liston.

3. Muhammad Ali is pretty much above reproach, however I'm sure there was somebody claiming that he beat an "old" Sonny Liston as a 22-year old Cassius Clay

4. Larry Holmes only beat old fighters in Muhammad Ali and Ken Norton

5. Mike Tyson only beat an old Larry Holmes

6. Lennox Lewis only beat old fighters in Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson

7. Wladimir Klitschko was only the best because he fought in a weak era

8. Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury beat an old Wladimir Klitschko

Those are just a few examples of how critics will always find something to nitpick and faulty assumptions get repeated so often that people accept them as the absolute truth.

[ShaneMosleySr]

He’s one of the best of all time without question.

[Willy Wanker]

Easily top 10, but I'd say Holmes is top 3 IMO.

[Chollo Vista]

At 15:07, that uppercut sent that dude to hell... Lol @ his facial expression

[Marchegiano]

It's funny because people have always criticized dominant champions:

1. Joe Louis had the so-called "bum of the month" club

2. Rocky Marciano only beat old fighters (Joe Walcott, Ezzard Charles, Joe Louis) and he ducked Sonny Liston.

3. Muhammad Ali is pretty much above reproach, however I'm sure there was somebody claiming that he beat an "old" Sonny Liston as a 22-year old Cassius Clay

4. Larry Holmes only beat old fighters in Muhammad Ali and Ken Norton

5. Mike Tyson only beat an old Larry Holmes

6. Lennox Lewis only beat old fighters in Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson

7. Wladimir Klitschko was only the best because he fought in a weak era

8. Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury beat an old Wladimir Klitschko

Those are just a few examples of how critics will always find something to nitpick and faulty assumptions get repeated so often that people accept them as the absolute truth.

True, good post, also, would not be a terrible top tens list, or 8 I guess but you get me.

Everyone you named in an ATG but the kids and I'm sure one of them will prove to be.

[IronDanHamza]

Great Heavyweight. One of the best jabs ever.

Top 5 HW.

[Hooded Terror]

I got some time on my hands as do many of you. I'm going through some old footage and holy schit, I'll be damned. Larry was a bad boy.

His fights with Cooney, Spinks (Michael and Leon), destruction of Frazier, Wars with Norton, Shavers, Mercer, etc

I mean damn. Norton vs Holmes was Gatti vs Ward before Gatti vs Ward, only it was 15 rounds. In the 15th round, Holmes was out on his feet, only to bite down on his gum shield and come back and almost stop Norton before Norton was saved by the bell. True legendary warrior schit.

He had a 29 year career only being stopped by a prime Mike. I would've loved to have seen him head to head against Foreman.

How do you guys rank Holmes against the greats and how do you see a Foreman fight playing out?

IronDanHamza
crold1

I was just a boy when Holmes edged Norton but in quick fashion I followed his active schedule. The media loved to trounce Holmes. He didn't have Ali's charisma and he wasn't schooled on playing the game in front of a camera. The media was adept at pointing out all of his deficits, overlooking his in-ring talent.

I remember the Mike Weaver match in June 1979. Holmes was taken to the very edge but managed to reach into his considerable bag of tricks and pull it out. A scant three months later he was dropped badly by Ernie Shavers, but again, the bag of tricks and again, out of the fire. The media loved to talk him down.

I'll skip the Ali burial and what it did to Holmes and move forward to the Renaldo Snipes near-wipe out. Again, a mistake made but the recovery and turn-around from Larry (even within the very round he was down) was incredible.

The media loved to point out Larry's imperfections but the reality is those imperfections forced greatness out of him in moments of extreme duress. As he began to show some deterioration, we still got to see that greatness come out a few years later with Tim Witherspoon. Round 9 was a beauty.

Hell of a ring general with a heart and spirit as big as Idaho.
Terrific left jab, sharp right hand, very good chin, 15-round conditioning and a ridiculous (by today's standards) schedule.

Definitely in my top ten ATG heavyweight champions.

[PRINCEKOOL]

Top 8 Heavyweight of all time.

[GGG Gloveking]

I was young and new to boxing when Tyson beat an old Holmes. I made a joke about Holmes not being any good, and Dad quickly put me in check, telling me how Holmes was a great champion that hit like a truck. Once YouTube emerged, and I could actually see the old footage, I gained even more respect for the man.

Great champ