Holmes-Ali - is it a little underrated of a win

:deal

That said, prime for prime it's that big of a mismatch IMO. Ali UD but not very wide.

 

Ruiz would have beaten that Ali.

 

The Thyrolar poisoning is a matter of medical record. Prime Ali on that stuff would have lost to Holmes.

 

I don't think that's fair. Holmes was fighting in first gear, you can't use his performance there as an indication of how he'd cope with a prime Ali

 

In "Against the Odds," Holmes recounted that Ali was immensely strong in the clinches during their former sparring sessions, but that this physical strength was nonexistent in that 1980 debacle. Over a year later, Ali took the muscular Berbick into the clinches a great deal. Trevor's brute strength, a useful asset against the powerful John Tate the previous year, did not overwhelm Muhammad. During their post fight press conference, Berbick said something to the effect of, "My head and neck are sore. It wasn't like that with Holmes." Indeed, Ali was able to pull the trigger in the Bahamas and exert himself a great deal more than he had with Holmes. Yes, the Ali of the Cleveland Williams fight would have lost to Holmes if hindered by the Thyrolar overdose he inflicted on himself in 1980.

 

I felt the same way, but unfortunately ended up finally watching it last year.
The fight was horribly despressing throughout & saddened me a lot more than watching shot Tyson being beaten up by Lewis. :verysad

 

I wonder what Holmes' reaction would be if Mike Tyson used his victory over Larry as a big achievement....!!!

 

Holmes' reaction would be too DIE of Laughter!

Tysons' win over larry is worth jackity-shite cos Holmes was old And shot.

1980 Ali vs 1988 Holmes is 50//50 fight of 2 shot old-men.

 

Oh come on, the 88 Holmes would whallop Ali. Not even up for debate.

 

No, it isn't. I'll wager he'll beat the version of Ali that fought Berbick too. I wonder if even that Ali would beat any active version of Holmes.

 

The Holmes who fought Butterbean and the Ali who fought Berbick could be a decent fight.

 

Hell, the Ali that beat Shavers would be lucky to beat the Holmes that beat Mercer.

 

Ali Decision....
In 1981 he ALmost out-boxed berbic And he was fat there.

Holmes IMO lost too Butterbean - BUT got gift decision And was Floored round 12.

 

Hard to believe that Holmes would ever have a surplus of compassion for anybody he ever fought, but I guess that Ali was the guy that would elicit that quality of mercy from Holmes. Larry actually did his idol no favors by punishing him so badly for so protracted a period of time as he did. It would have been more humane to have quicly snuffed him out ala Louis vs his buddy John Henry Lewis.