Where do you rank Larry Holmes?

Discussion in 'World Boxing Forum' started by Pugilist_Spec, Nov 15, 2015.


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  1. Pugilist_Spec

    Pugilist_Spec Hands Of Stone Full Member

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    OK, let's assume it was a duck. That's 2 guys in a 7 year reign. So what? Didn't Lewis drop 2 of his belts to avoid Byrd and Ruiz? For the exact same reason Holmes didn't want to fight Page? Because he was getting old and felt like getting bigger, more marketable fights?

    You praise Wlad for unifying yet ignore that he never fought the biggest threat to his title (Vitali), never fought Maskaev, Valuev and Briggs, when they were champions or afterwards, fighting men like Calvin Brock, shot Brewster, Rahman and never-was Tony Thompson instead, and let Vitali basically handle a portion of the division that he wasn't comfortable with.
     
    Pugilist_Spec, Nov 15, 2015
    Pugilist_Spec, Nov 15, 2015
    #16
  2. HerolGee

    HerolGee Loyal Member banned Full Member

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    "if I'm going to come back"

    are you seriously stupid enough to begin your argument with the sentence that also obliterates it?
     
    HerolGee, Nov 15, 2015
    HerolGee, Nov 15, 2015
    #17
  3. trumperZ06

    trumperZ06 Active Member Full Member

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    IMO

    probably in the lower part of the top 10.

    1. Jack Johnson

    2. Joe Lewis

    3. Ali

    After that it starts to become a "toss-up".

    ;)
     
    trumperZ06, Nov 15, 2015
    trumperZ06, Nov 15, 2015
    #18
  4. IntentionalButt

    IntentionalButt Guy wants to name his çock 'macho' that's ok by me

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    Third all time at heavy, his mentor dead ahead of him and Joe Louis #1.

    Wlad is closing in on him, though.
     
    IntentionalButt, Nov 15, 2015
    IntentionalButt, Nov 15, 2015
    #19
  5. IntentionalButt

    IntentionalButt Guy wants to name his çock 'macho' that's ok by me

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    Johnson 1st? His skills were top notch in his own era but would hardly be special if you transplanted him to later ones. He also drew the color line. :huh
     
    IntentionalButt, Nov 15, 2015
    IntentionalButt, Nov 15, 2015
    #20
  6. UnleashtheFURY

    UnleashtheFURY D'oh! Full Member

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    Who Joe Lewis? Never heard of that guy.
     
    UnleashtheFURY, Nov 15, 2015
    UnleashtheFURY, Nov 15, 2015
    #21
  7. IntentionalButt

    IntentionalButt Guy wants to name his çock 'macho' that's ok by me

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    Mohammedi was #1 contender to Kovalev. Had that not happened would it have been a duck? :think
     
    IntentionalButt, Nov 15, 2015
    IntentionalButt, Nov 15, 2015
    #22
  8. turnip

    turnip Boxing Addict Full Member

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    And unlike vlady never got sparked out by three no hopers.
     
    turnip, Nov 15, 2015
    turnip, Nov 15, 2015
    #23
  9. turnip

    turnip Boxing Addict Full Member

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    No he is not .vlad is a China chined robot.
     
    turnip, Nov 15, 2015
    turnip, Nov 15, 2015
    #24
  10. Jennifer Love Hewitt

    Jennifer Love Hewitt Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Joe Lewis was great! Right up there with Lennox Louis.


    I have Larry Holmes in the top 5.
     
    Jennifer Love Hewitt, Nov 15, 2015
    Jennifer Love Hewitt, Nov 15, 2015
    #25
  11. theanatolian

    theanatolian Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Hi Dino, I like your new username :hi:
     
    theanatolian, Nov 15, 2015
    theanatolian, Nov 15, 2015
    #26
  12. IntentionalButt

    IntentionalButt Guy wants to name his çock 'macho' that's ok by me

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    IntentionalButt, Nov 15, 2015
    IntentionalButt, Nov 15, 2015
    #27
  13. Rumsfeld

    Rumsfeld Moderator Staff Member

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    Up near the very top.

    Personally, I have only Louis and Ali ranked ahead of him.

    :smoke
     
    Rumsfeld, Nov 15, 2015
    Rumsfeld, Nov 15, 2015
    #28
  14. IntentionalButt

    IntentionalButt Guy wants to name his çock 'macho' that's ok by me

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    In that order?

    :smoke
     
    IntentionalButt, Nov 15, 2015
    IntentionalButt, Nov 15, 2015
    #29
  15. Rock0052

    Rock0052 Loyal Member Full Member

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    Wlad's already surpassed Holmes, but I can see the argument from those who don't think it's happened yet.

    Holmes was a hell of a fighter, don't get me wrong, but there reached a point (after the ****ey fight for my money) where he got jaded with the politics of the sport and started fighting safer fights for maximum paydays. Certain fights should've happened- not just Page/Thomas, but a Witherspoon rematch was warranted beyond a shadow of a doubt given how Larry struggled with the 15 fight Spoon. Spinks turned out to be a cherry pick gone wrong, but I don't punish him too much for that. Losses don't bug me so much as taking it easy on the matchmaking the last few years.

    I don't blame him one bit for the later reign matchmaking from a life standpoint- boxing's a brutal game, and money in the bank pays the bills. Legacy doesn't.

    But, from a historical one, I think the last few years has nudged Wlad ahead because of it. There's been dog defenses like Leapai and Pianeta, but he's made the biggest fights happen regularly, some of them in hostile territory.

    Larry's still an ATG, of course. A Coetzee win in South Africa, beating Page, Thomas, and Spoon in a rematch would've gone a long way towards cementing the latter parts of the reign though.
     
    Rock0052, Nov 15, 2015
    Rock0052, Nov 15, 2015
    #30
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