Comments Thread For: Larry Holmes: Current Heavyweights "Couldn't Stand A Chance" In My Era

[theface07]

I like Larry Holmes but he was champ in an era of aging great heavyweights and thus he never fought the best in their prime. I don't think Holmes would've won a world title had he came up in the pro game around the same time as Ali, Foreman, Frazier, Shavers, Chuvalo, Norton. He was after them and fought Norton past his prime and should've lost or at least got a draw in my opinion. He was a poor man's Ali and had he fought any of the legendary heavyweights of the late 60's and early 70's he would've lost at least as much as he won. He was lucky, like Marciano, that the best were past their prime when he was in his prime. Sure some heavyweights nowadays would've lost to a prime Holmes but to say Joshua, Fury and the like wouldn't have had a chance in his era is purely opinion and speculation. Personally I think they would've had a good chance because of their size, especially Fury with his freakish style and size.

[BirdSong]

older people who have seen live the guys in question would have the best shot at answering who would be competitive with who in different eras, its all just opinions as we will never know, even if u are convinced someone ices someone else, upsets happen quite a lot too

[-Kev-]

The HW’s of today are a different weight class.

People don’t see it that way because the sanctioning bodies designate 200+ lbs as HW. So they disregard size.

Like the eras before Holmes. For example 190lb (fight night weight) 5’9”-5’11 HW’s like Marciano would now be a Light Heavyweight. 190lbs, on fight night is even too small for Cruiserweight.

Holmes would be too small for Fury, Klitschko’s, Wilder, Joshua.

Holmes was among the tallest and biggest HW’s of his era and he is basing his success versus those HW’s, who he was either bigger than or was their same size, to gauge how he would do today against much bigger HW’s.

He would probably get smoked.

[Fighter78]

Holmes is absolutely correct here.....nearly every one of today's hw's would get beaten out of their shoes....Anthony Joshua would have the best chance against most of them but I'm not even sure he would last against all of them......Wilder gets put into the grave by nearly all of them and the gypsy peasant would get beaten back into a life of ******* and booze by even the lowest level of championship caliber heavyweight back in the Holmes day......this current group really does suck overall after you get past Joshua.

[uncle_ray]

I'd think the top 5 would at least be contenders but none of them besides Fury would touch Holmes

[The plunger man]

Until fury can successfully defend his title against a skilled heavyweight he cannot be favoured against the likes of Holmes , Lewis or Ali.
The Joshua fight will tell everything we need to know about how fury should be against these.
Personally I think Joshua will do a number on him when they fight and will end these crazy fury posters and there shallow Hal views in fury

[alexjust]

Normally I don’t go for the “in my day” stuff but he is right. None of these guys today last the full 15 or even 12 with the greats from the 70s both early and late

I think its a myth. Even if these huge HW these days would be on fumes in the last 3 rounds of a 15 rounds fight (which in itself is not a foregone conclusion), the challenge for a smaller guy would be to make it past 12 rounds. If you look at any sport - athletes get faster, jump longer and higher, we are getting better, not worse. But in boxing its other way around? Please. Today's boxers don't have the rage and machismo of the fighters of the past - times are different now. A 70s boxer would still be a pu$$y to a gladiator. Tell a gladiator about gloves, ring side doctor, rules, extremely low probability of death and 60 seconds rest breaks between rounds and he'd laugh in your face. So, that's all relative. Speaking of skills development - its impossible that boxers get worse and not better, we have more shoulders to stand on - that's how we progress.

[_Rexy_]

Larry is probably top 3 ATG heavyweight. His era might not run over todays top 10 but Holmes does.

[Cobra Curry]

I think its a myth. Even if these huge HW these days would be on fumes in the last 3 rounds of a 15 rounds fight (which in itself is not a foregone conclusion), the challenge for a smaller guy would be to make it past 12 rounds. If you look at any sport - athletes get faster, jump longer and higher, we are getting better, not worse. But in boxing its other way around? Please. Today's boxers don't have the rage and machismo of the fighters of the past - times are different now. A 70s boxer would still be a pu$$y to a gladiator. Tell a gladiator about gloves, ring side doctor, rules, extremely low probability of death and 60 seconds rest breaks between rounds and he'd laugh in your face. So, that's all relative. Speaking of skills development - its impossible that boxers get worse and not better, we have more shoulders to stand on - that's how we progress.

I hear you on that. On the other side, I do feel that certain elements of the game aren't being coached as they used to.
Things like rolling a punch and the inside game spring to mind.

[alexjust]

I hear you on that. On the other side, I do feel that certain elements of the game aren't being coached as they used to.
Things like rolling a punch and the inside game spring to mind.

I did say we are getting better, but I didn't say we like to be punched more Inside game is hard, why bother when you can extend your 4 ft arm?