Was Larry Holmes the "worst" heavyweight champion of all time?

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by Storm-Chaser, Dec 1, 2022.


Was Larry the worst heavyweight champion of all time?

  1. Yes

    5 vote(s)
    5.9%
  2. No

    80 vote(s)
    94.1%
  1. michael mullen

    michael mullen Active Member Full Member

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    You need to give your daddy those "underrated/overrated " toys of yours and stay in your room for a month.
     
  2. Barrf

    Barrf Boxing Addict Full Member

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    H2H in the ring, he's one of the best of all time.

    In terms of attitude? Many fighters are arrogant braggarts. That's nothing new. Even fighters generally seen as polite and genteel can be arrogant braggarts -- Lennox Lewis anyone?

    As to his comments on Tyson, they're absurd. Tyson had a granite chin. The single best punch thrown by Holmes in his entire career couldn't have dropped Tyson on its own, let alone the uppercut he was trying to throw while hurt and half out on his feet. That said, he's done interviews in speeches in which he wasn't like that and in which he admits that Tyson just got him.

    In terms of having a giant chip on his shoulder? He did have that. It wasn't a good look and was his big failing. I understand WHY he was like that though. He was an ATG, damn well knew it, yet was treated like some imitator Ali knockoff. It isn't a huge excuse, but I get it.

    There's an aspect to him that mitigates the chip on the shoulder though. He was otherwise a credit to the sport. No substance abuse problems. No relationship problems. Family man, had his wife and kids with him at his fights. No problems with the law. No money problems. Stuck up for himself against predatory promoters. Generally kept his head down (flying drop kick off a limo aside), trained, fought, never let down his fans or insulted the sport by showing up not ready to fight.

    Also, by the time of his senior career, the chip on his shoulder was gone and he was much more gracious and genial. His interview after losing to Holyfield was a masterclass of how to act in defeat -- Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder should watch it.
     
  3. northpaw

    northpaw Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    My opinion is that this is a bad troll
     
  4. janitor

    janitor VIP Member Full Member

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    There are worse things that you can be than an arrogant jerk.

    Much worse things.
     
  5. Terror

    Terror free smoke Full Member

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    Top 5 at worst
     
    Barm and Rumsfeld like this.
  6. Saintpat

    Saintpat Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    This is the worst take of all time.

    I don’t like your attitude, your lack of respect for at ATG in Larry Holmes, your arrogance and general prickishness — to use your terms.
     
    ETM, KasimirKid, Eddie Ezzard and 4 others like this.
  7. KernowWarrior

    KernowWarrior Bob Fitzsimmons much bigger brother. Full Member

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    Listen because that came from a real life Saint, and saints are nice people who always speak the truth............
     
  8. Man_Machine

    Man_Machine Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    A fair few people seem to forget that Ali was, what could have been described as a hate figure, prior to and during his exile.
     
    Flash24, Keleneki, northpaw and 2 others like this.
  9. greynotsoold

    greynotsoold Boxing Addict

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    That first sentence may very well be the most ignorant statement ever put forth on this site.
     
  10. robert ungurean

    robert ungurean Богдан Philadelphia Full Member

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    Met Holmes on a few occasions and he couldn't have been nicer if he tried.
    He's honest and blunt. Some people can't handle that.
     
  11. Levook

    Levook Well-Known Member Full Member

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    Loads of boxers through the years have been like Holmes - we're talking about natural born fighters here, these guys are tough and don't get all offended when talked about, it's only words, to them. Not to excuse bad behavior, of course.

    Like a previous poster said, it's understandable with Holmes because of the lack of respect he had to endure. Heck, lots of my friends even talked him down and compared him to Ali constantly (notice I didn't say 'boxing friends' - basically, all of my friends could talk boxing to one degree or another, such was the time).
     
  12. Storm-Chaser

    Storm-Chaser Well-Known Member Full Member

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    okay interesting comments, I understand he is not the worst, as fergy said it speaks more to his character than anything else. But I do not like him in any sense of the worst. I mean word.

    I guess that is where boxing becomes subjective, right?
     
  13. Storm-Chaser

    Storm-Chaser Well-Known Member Full Member

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    Amazing - really - that boxing is a game of numbers but also comes down in a number of ways (forgive the pun) to whether you flat out just like the guy or not, making it both very analytical and very subjective at the same time.

    You can say, baseball, for example, is a game of numbers, but you can't say it's anywhere near as subjective as something like boxing, at least that's my take on it.
     
  14. Storm-Chaser

    Storm-Chaser Well-Known Member Full Member

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    Okay, that is also probably something I should take into account.

    Still, the flying leg kick was a little too much....
     
  15. Storm-Chaser

    Storm-Chaser Well-Known Member Full Member

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    No, actually, as much as I am learning from your "take" on this, I am NOT going to agree with every comment, this is an example. Plenty of people out there who don't see Holmes as a worthy champion.