Holmes says he would have beaten Ali in his prime

Agreed, Larry is a great person to meet and talk to. He also does represent big problems for Ali as styles make fights. Holmes matches Ali for jab both speed and more power, same with the right hand and used his uppercut and hook to more advantage. Neither would knock the other out but this fight would have been one helluva fight to watch. Holmes was quietly cagey and Ali was very smart at adapting. I would love to have seen that one!

 

Not speed he doesn't. Maybe with single punches, but not with combinations. Ali is overall quicker with his hands, and his feet for that matter.

 

Holmes is one of the few fighters who would have beaten Ali in his prime. Holmes' jab was the best weapon the sport has ever seen. He had a high boxing IQ and would have given Ali a very tough fight.

 

agreeeed

 

The 60's Ali was too fast, too athletic, and just overall too talented for Holmes to beat. Holmes was terrific but who were his big litmus tests besides a fading Norton and an aging Shavers. Sorry, but outpointing the likes of Roy 'Tiger' Williams in 1976 and beating Norton and Shavers does not equal beating the fastest HW ever. Remember, wemay have never seen Ali at his absolute peak. I like Holmes but he was more of a workmanlike figher. Determined nd tough as hell. But not a once in a lifetime talent like a prime Ali or Tyson.

Ali by decision or even late TKO if he really steps on the gas pedal.

 

Yeah, and to get technical about it, Holmes couldn't carry Marciano's jock strap

Holmes is, no doubt, one of the all time great HW boxers. But true to form, regarding this as much as anything else, he suffers from foot-in-mouth disease.

Neither Holmes nor Ali would suffer from a KO. Ali's greater speed would win the best of three.

 

Holmes thinks he would beat anyone in history, not to mention that Norton, Shavers and Cooney would have ko'ed Tyson.

 

It is a must with any boxer, look at Holyfield now he still believes he can win.

 

Really?

I guess it's too bad Tyson completely obliterated an old Holmes... poor Larry

 

I do not think that Holmes is in any danger of being seen as the greatest heavyweight ever. He is a pygmie next to Ali or Louis.

Having said that I can well believe that he might have beaten a prime Ali by playing the stylistic foil. Holmes would give Ali a lot of technical puzzles to solve and would have presented him with a style that he was uncomfortable with.

Anyway this is speculation. Ali actualy achieved more in the ring and that is what counts at the end of the day. If Holmes wanted to be considered the equal of Ali he needed to make a clean sweep of the top contenders of his era and he didnt. If you fight in a weaker era you need to do a proper number on it.

 

It is interesting that in this match-up there is much talk of the stylistic problems Holmes poses for Ali.

I think they are valid, but the reverse is also true. I would argue the stylistic problems Ali poses for Holmes are just about insoluble.

'67 Ali wins 3 from 3 IMO, with his worst performance of the 3 being a narrow points decision (8-7, or 9-6) and the best a potential TKO...

Nonetheless, this would be up in my TOP10 HW head-to-headers...

 

It's hard to state with absolute conviction that he'd definitely defeat Ali (same applies to anybody really) but he's certinaly one of the small clutch of fighters who'd stand the best chance of doing so. I reckon Larry would stand a fair chance against any post-exile version of Ali (you could say 50/50 fight). He'd definitely beat Ali at an point post '75.


I think Larry would drop a close and competitive decision against the '67 version, however at any point in Ali's career he'd pose him stylistic problems and give him one helluva fight.

 

Yeah i am almost in entire agreeance. I can't see Holmes beating pre exile Aliand i think early post exile might be anyones.

 

I don't see Holmes doing anything with Ali prime vs prime. Maybe he could with a Leon version, but nothing more than that.

Holmes has the biggest ****ing mouth in HW boxing history, bar none! Was he a great HW? Yep. Does he creep into a top 10? Yep. What he has is foot-in-mouth disease, to state the matter mildly. He would have gotten his black ass kicked in its prime by Marciano - yet he showed the guy zero respect.

The guy lost to a GREAT LHW, what more needs to be said? Except for a kind suggestion to shut up, sit down, and understand you are in the bottom half of real HW top 10.

 

Yeah right. :nut

That one has Holmes UD written all over it. How many other people had Marciano outboxed (before getting stopped). Old Charles, Walcott, La Starza etc. I honestl;y can't envisage the same happening to a prim Holmes. A knockdown, sure but Larry's superior skill, jab and durability make him the clear fave here. :yep