Why is Larry Holmes thought of so highly?

He could have beaten anyone on his day. His powerfull left jab and his right cross was a winner even at very high age (and he could take a punch if he had to) . Is is always a question on how he would have gone on against Ali and others, but what he did he did Very good.

Woller

 

Hes one of those ATG talents that never had the chance to test his skills against another ATG in their respective prime. Kind of like how Tyson and Lewis were in their respective eras and primes. A lot of speculation comes from that, especially when they dominate solid guys for a good period of time.

 

Undoubtedly top ten ,and arguably top 5 imo ,Eddie Futch said he thought he would have beaten Ali,maybe so ,maybe not,but he would have given him a very interesting evening.Great fighter imo.

 

One of the greatest ever Heavyweights. 20 consecutive title defences, defeated numerous Hall Of Famers, never avoided no one while champion, and at his peak was one of the most skilled and talented Heavyweights of all time.

Also good enough to comeback in his 40's and get a crack at the HW Title, losing a hard fought decision to Evander Holyfield.

At the worst a top 5 Heavyweight in my opinion.

 

:good:, and let's not forget nobody gave him the respect he truly deserved, he was beating younger opponents and nobody gave him any credit for it.

 

Yep.....His autobiography is also a must read for anyone that hasnt read it.

 

And Oliver Mcall. :good

 

Personaly I think he might be a bit over-rated here.

He fought in an era that many consider to be weak and didn't really fight the best or fully stamp his authaurity on it.

His best wins are arguably weaker than those of other all time great heavyweights and he always had problems when he fought the best of them.

He is a great fighter no doubt but there were some good reasons why he was not rated in his own day. I would not bet money on him beating any other top ten all time heavyweight.

 

Yep. His performance against the undefeated Ray Meacrer is also a great win. Holmes uses all of his ring exprience and knowlodge to take Meacer back to school......

Holmes was a tremendous fighter....:good

 

Wow. Bit harsh I'd say that. Although his Heavyweight era wasn't the strongest of era's. It was just as good or probaly better than Joe Louis's.

His consistence is incredible, and his record speaks for it's self. He defeated a bunch of top contenders aswell as a few Hall Of Famers.

Add on to this 20 Title defences and his pretty good comeback when in his 40's, he's easily a top 5 Heavyweight at the least.

And I'd give him a good chance at beating any of the top 10 Heavyweights when at his best and focused imo.

 

I'd say Louis disputed win against Godoy, being floored by Galento and pulling his ass out of the fire against Conn is just as much marks against him as Holmes struggles against his own comp.

 

I would have to disagree.

For one thing Louis gave Godoy and Conn rematches where Holmes would have let the result stand.