Should Larry Holmes have treated Muhammad Ali like Jake Paul treated Mike Tyson?

Muhammad Ali had this magical effect on judges and crowds where rounds had to be won from him… Holmes shouldn’t have let Ali do anything different he actively asked the ref to step in, won every round and could’ve hurt Ali a lot more but held back LH just took no chances of a surprise or losing a round he had a career to look out for man.

 

Good points, maybe I go too far but at a minimum Holmes had to do the right thing for his career THOUGH maybe taking it easy on Ali would’ve made people love him? If he’d made a silent protest of it till the ref stepped in or let Ali keep his dignity a bit more.

 

I suppose the difference is that one was circus event and the other was a title fight.

I get what you are saying and you absolutely have a point but of all the people culpable for what happened to Ali, Larry Holmes is at the bottom of that list, if he even deserves a spot at all.

The biggest prize in all of sport was on the line. I forgive Larry for ensuring he won the fight. And I do think he backed off a bit when it became apparent that Ali was no threat.

 

Half the build-up to Paul-Tyson was them trying to convince people it wasn’t fixed. It was sanctioned as if a real fight (albeit with 2 minute rounds) but it was absolutely rigged and a total exhibition. As we saw, and they both knew, Tyson couldn’t fight so it was ‘I’ll carry you, but don’t get cheeky and try to hit me with a haymaker.’

That’s different than a heavyweight championship fight against a guy who had made magic many times.

Like the coach said many years ago on that video that is still viral (or at least often cited): You play to win the game.

This content is protected

 

That's not true. The 5 second clips that were sped up, yes, they looked impressive, but anyone who saw the full video, seen Mike huffing and puffing and barely box. Mike also was seen on a wheelchair in the year leding up to the fight + he had stomach issues few month before. Mike looked like shyte and was 58 and only his fanboys thought he could win that.

On the other hand, Ali was only a year removed from his retiremenet and he looked decent in his last fight with Spinks. A lot of people betted on Ali for the win.

 

The amount of people around me believing Tyson was giving Paul signals and sold the fight is astounding. Jake could have killed him in there had he tried.

 

That was my memory too

 

If Ali had lasted the distance, he might have "won" (been given) the decision. Ali was the cash cow, if there was a way the boxing establishment could have given Ali the win, he would get it. Then there would be a rematch for more money, even if Ali had gone the distance and one judge had given Ali a close loss they would have created a rematch. The odds had tightened before the fight and a lot of people thought Ali would win.

 

Lifting weights ain't boxing. There are a lot of grandpas looking like Tyson if they have genetics and work hard in the gym. Doesn't mean they can go inside the boxing ring and have success.

 

Great post and agree with everything you say. That fight was basically I will make you some money but don't get out of line.
You could 100% see it.

 

He definitely backed off at times.
There wasn't much else Larry could do in there, Ali just covered up and rarely tht

Tyson looked knackered in the ring walk and his face said it all.

 

That would have destroyed the sport. It would have been impossible to spin that as an Ali win. The man was so zonked with thyroid medication prescribed by a quack Nation of Islam “doctor” that he could barely hold his arms up.