Larry Holmes vs Pinklon Thomas 1984

I'd like to think that Holmes could have beaten anyone even as late as 1984. But his vulnerabilities were becomming more and more evident by that point. Thomas might have been in a good position to take advantage of a declining Holmes. I watched his fight with Tim Witherspoon not too terribly long ago and both he and Spoon looked sharp, yet Thomas put on a masterful performance.. I think this was before Pinklon's drug problems got the better of him.. So yeah he'd be a tall order for an aged Holmes

 

Holmes would have knocked him out, in 1984 Holmes was still bringing it, still had that sharp jab, and could still bang...

Thomas was a good fighter but not in Holmes league...

 

WBC... And yes there were a handful of men who were ahead in line of the guys you mentioned.. How would he have fared against them? we'll never know. Page was looking like **** by 1984-1985 and losing regularly. Dokes fell off the earth after losing to Coetzee. Spoon and Thomas were probably the top two most viable challenges during that time frame, and both would have been tough propositions at that stage.

 

If,and it's a BIG if,Thomas would have given us a career best performance,he was capable of outpointing an ageing Holmes. Very close one,though.

 

By this time,Holmes was concentrating on what he considered to be easier fights.

 

Pinklon was the only man to decisively defeat a Prime, in shape Witherspoon. So sure that version deserves to start Favorite with Holmes and could beat a 85' Larry.

Problem was Pinky was never that good again, he was not quite as good against Weaver and his form had slipped right off against Berbick. Turns out, had Pinklon took on Holmes right after beating Witherspoon Thomas would have showed up with his Berbick or Weaver form ...and lost!

Crucially, Pinklon had to beat Witherspoon to appear worthy, Thomas was never getting a shot at Holmes before the Witherspoon fight. What had he done before witherspoon? Drew with Coetzee?
Even if other lesser fighters appear got a shot at Holmes for less, on paper they really hadn't done less than draw with Snipes. Ocasio beat Young twice, Smith beat Bruno, bey beat Page, Cobb beat SHavers, Berbick beat Tate, spinks beat Mercado. Cooney beat Norton. On paper, Snipes himself beat Coetzee.

 

Thomas absolutely destroyed Weaver and didn't lose to Trevor Berbick until 1986 which is well beyond the proposed time frame of a fight with Holmes ( 1984. ) His win over Witherspoon was a masterful performance and his bout with Coetzee was viewed as a competitive and entertaining scrap between two top contenders in their primes.

 

Pinklon had a excellent chin and a jab like most people's right cross and he had a right hand as well. He started to get back into the drugs just before the Berbick fight but before that I think that he was one of the guys that had a great stylistic chance to beat Holmes.

 

My point is that Pinklon needed the Witherspoon win to look worthy. In 1984 Thomas fought twice. Once against 13-7 Bruce Grantham in June and Tim Witherspoon in August. Since the fight in August 84 was the fight that made him (yes it was masterful) and pink did not fight again until June 85 I don't think pinklon could fight Larry until June 1985.

Beating Bruce Grandham is not getting Thomas a shot at Larry.

 

If Thomas could reproduce the form of his fight with Tim Witherspoon he would undoubtedly beat the Larry Holmes who fought Bones Smith...but Thomas never reproduced it. And Thomas needed that performance to beat Witherspoon with.

 

But beating a shot Quick Tillis and having only 16 pro fights was plenty for Williams to get one, as was having only 14 pro bouts and beating Greg Page who everyone was beating did for David Bey. How about Jim Smith? He goes 13-1 against virtually all nobodies, then gets one win over Frank Bruno ( also relatively unknown at the time ) and gets a title shot...And ONLY beating Bruce Grandham wasn't the reality.. Thomas was around 25-0, had beaten Tim Witherspoon for the WBC title who in turn beat Greg page who Holmes relinquished the crown rather than to fight. He had a win over a prime Tillis and drew with Coetzee in one of the better scraps of that time period.. Thomas had been very highly rated for a long time by 1985.

 

You're forgetting that Thomas had an iron chin. Big, strong and fast. No way Holmes knocks him out, even prime for prime. Larry didn't have the firepower and I don't see Pinky crumbling under anything Holmes throws at any time in the fight. If Holmes wins this fight- and I think he would in '84- it's by close decision.

 

Thomas was rated and with hindsight he was good enough to beat Holmes..but..A draw with Coetzee is not automatic title shot material. Scott Frank also drew with Snipes and his credentials were regarded as a joke when he got his shot a year earlier. Beating Witherspoon is an automatic title shot material performance however- but that meant they're not fighting until 1985. By then they both had other fish to fry. Pinklon took 10 months off then fought weaver. Over the same ten months Holmes took on Smith, Bey and Carl Williams. Incidentally Weaver was not so hot then. On the undercard of Holmes v Smith in November 84 Hercules was knocked out after the bell by a kronk fighter called Tony Anthony winning by disqualification. He looked chinny.

I don't think there is grounds for Pinklon being an outstanding challenger to Holmes in 1984.

1985 perhaps.