Larry Holmes getting all but neatly KTFO in the amateurs

Two hard knockdowns and then a wobbling via right hook prompted the ref to step in, but it looked in all honesty like Holmes was saved from a seriously brutal ending with over a minute left on the 1st round clock.

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Nick Wells is the only man to ever kayo "The Easton Assassin" besides the far more well-known "Iron" Mike Tyson (who like Wells also happens to be five inches shorter than Holmes at 5'10") - and Wells did it twice.

In the video above is their rematch in July of 1972, effectively ending Holmes' aspirations toward an Olympic medal. Four months earlier, Wells would dash Larry's national Golden Gloves dreams - stopping him before he could even reach the medaling stages. Ironically, in both the 1972 GG semis and the finals of the Olympic trials, Wells would in turn be knocked out by Duane Bobick.

Despite being a very well regarded amateur with an insane KO ratio for the headgear era, the Ft. Worth southpaw didn't eke out much of a professional career to speak of. In fact, he's sufficiently obscure that I can't turn up a single frame of footage of him in the pros - and that's even with having fought a handful of "TV" contenders like Jeff Sims, Eddie López and Tony Fulilangi.

 

Wells fought at regular (not super) heavyweight in the amateurs - so under 201lbs - and in the pros usually weighed between 210-215, absolutely highest being 226.

You kind of have to wonder if he would have benefited from a cruiser and/or bridger division existing in the seventies.