That's the primes of the two gentlemen in my humble opinion. For the sake of discussion you can choose the year these two gentlemen were in their primes. How does it go?
I have tremendous respect for Frazier as he always gave it his all and fought with passion and fire. However I think Holmes would be able to keep him at bay with that jab and win a close decision. I know people will say Ali wasn't successful with keeping Joe at bay with his jab but I think Holmes jab was much harder then Ali's and he used it alot more. And we all know Holmes is,pretty tough and won't fold if hurt. It would be a great fight.
Frazier would take it IMO. Holmes wasnt harder to close down on than Ali and for my money Ali was the harder puncher by a fair notch. Frazier would rally after losing the first few rounds to win a decision.
Not the jab. Shavers said in his book that Holmes's jab hit much harder than Ali's, and quotes you can find from Holmes's other opponents support the fact that his jab was uncommonly hard. It might have enable him to pull off the win.
Holmes' jab was heavier than Ali's for sure. He'd have to rely on pushing Joe away a lot in order to land it, so the Frazier-Foreman I ref would guarantee him victory lol. But to be completely forthright I think FOTC would take at least a majority decision over Holmes in an FOTC II. I don't think Larry could keep him off long enough to really discourage Joe, though it would be an even better (more entertaining) fight than even Norton-Holmes.
Neither Holmes nor Ali could make Norton or Frazier back up so they had to find other ways to beat them though Ali had Joe backing up in the 13th and 14th round of the Thrilla but that was more of a reflex action.
Shavers may have said Holmes had the harder jab, but he also stated Ali was the harder puncher. As did Norton, and Berbick (I spoke to the former 2).
He weighed 237 pounds for that fight. Angelo Dundee said he looked like Chubby Checkers but at least he went out on his feet. Back to this matchup. Neither Ali or Holmes could make Joe back up so they need to beat him another way.
Leaning towards Holmes by a narrow decision or very late stoppage. The left hook was a bigger problem for Muhammad Ali than it was for Larry Holmes
Frazier decision or maybe even a very late stoppage for me in a grueling bout. The punishment he dishes out over 15 even to great fighters like Holmes and Ali is immense. Nobody took it to both body and head better than Ali. This would be a great fight, FOTY candidate. Both have enormous heart and will and go until they have absolutely nothing left.
For the people who keep saying "This fighter or that fighter said Ali hit harder than Holmes". Let me state this again. Fighters lie. Ali claimed one time Shavers hit him the hardest. Then another time he said Greg Page hit him the hardest. Ali never mentions Henry Cooper's power even though Cooper almost knocked him out with one punch. In any case Ali's power couldn't bother Ken Norton and neither could Larry Holmes. Neither were huge punchers. In any case a prime Frazier before George Foreman beat him would beat a prime Larry Holmes.
Agree with you. Though Holmes may have had a harder jab, it wasn't as quick, Frazier made the lightning quick jabs of Ali miss often, and was able to counter off of his jab . Ali was also a busier fighter than Holmes , and had a greater variety of punches. Frazier was excellent at the slip and counter, his head movement was probably best in heavyweight history, especially when considering how aggressive he fought. Holmes wasn't as susceptible to the left hook as Ali was, it was the overhand right he had problems with. Frazier's right hand, though no were near as dangerous as his left hook nevertheless he was effective with it. Better than most give him credit for. I see Holmes winning the early rds. Behind his jab and right uppercuts, But like he did with the overall better fighter Ali, Frazier would slowly turn the tide, and Holmes suddenly would be fighting to survive. Holmes was more stationary than Ali. That means the body shots that may have missed Ali, probably lands somewhere on Holmes. Frazier begins to start " smoking " around the 6th rd, goes on to win a dec unanimously in a 15rd exciting fight. Frazier wouldn't need to be in a hospital as he was against Ali for a week after Fotc.