If Larry holmes had challenged moorer in 94 instead of old George? Would holmes have stood more chance against Mike instead of mccall? Would holmes have succeeded in becoming the oldest heavy weight champ in this fight?
I'm going to say no, Moorer beats him. My main reason is Holmes to my knowledge never fought any southpaws, at least not at a world class level. In his amateur days Holmes fought Nick Welles a hard punching southpaw and Holmes was stopped both times.
If you were asking how the Larry of '79-'84 would fare, I would go with Holmes on a UD or even a late round stoppage, with Moorer on his feet. However, the Holmes of the McCall fight was not quite the force he once was, not finished by any means, but Moorer would be too mobile and busy for him. Michael Moorer, a clear UD for him.
Really? I didn't know that about holmes stoppage in the amateur s. It could have a bearing on the fight,, some fighters naturally struggle against south paws.
The championship holmes would beaten moorer every day of the week I'm certain. He would have stopped him imo in the last few rounds. The 80 s holmes just way to good. But the mid 90 s..? That's a tough one.
Holmes amateur record was 19-3, two losses to Welles and one to Duane Bobick. Also in Holmes prime era there were very few world class heavyweight southpaws, in the 70's and 80's. The only one I can think of is Richard Dunn, and he was hardly world class. tarting in the 90's to the recent era you had world class southpaws - Moorer, Byrd, Corrie Sanders,
Strange now you mentioned it, how southpaw heavy s were so far and few between for so many years and hardly successful, yet suddenly in the 90 s so many cropped up and did quite well.
I've heard a rumor, I'm not exactly how true it is, but supposedly many old time trainers if they got a fighter who was left handed would teach him to fight right handed rather than being naturally a southpaw. Gerry Cooney for example is left handed, but fought orthodox. His money punch was the left hook, sometimes I wonder if he fought southpaw, and developed a good right jab, how that left hand would have been as a straight left or left cross?
Byrd did pretty well but he was more 2000. In fact in some ways he was more successful than Moorer though he didn't win the lineal.
I forgot about Byrd. Personally unlike a few here, I'm not overly strict when it's comes to regarding titles only having credibility or being only genuine if it had lineal status.
Sanders came along and caused a upset against klitschko and ruslan chag s is up there to. It was the probably more 2000 onwards when they made their mark to be honest. But compared to the 80 s and before they did a lot better.
Yer If only counting lineal I believe only moorer achieved that. Karl mildenberg?put up a good showing against Ali in his peak. Think it took ali a few rounds to figure out the southpaw style.