I noticed that Larry looked offended that a light heavy would dare move up to fight him. He looked to be filled with indignation and outrage.
Shame he did not use that fire in the fight. He went through the motions figuring he would get the job done sooner or later. And as much as he can rightly moan about the decision in the second fight, he had little argument about losing the first.
Larry's my favorite fighter and even I concede that Michael beat him in that first fight. Most of it had to do with his neutralization of the jab...without the jab Larry was at maybe 60% capacity. The genius of what Michael did in regard to the jab was that he made it even more ineffective than either Norton or Witherspoon, each of whom were the first fighters to really employ that neutralization effectively. Spinks took it to its natural extreme. I must also give mad props to Michael for becoming the worse type of opponent in another way: he was conscientiously unorthodox, a style that relentlessly confounded and frustrated Holmes. However, Larry suffered one of the worse decisions in boxing history in that second fight...completely disgraceful, and it turned me off boxing from the evening it happened until only eight months ago. Larry is a two time champ, people.
Probably because Holmes wanted to beat another bum for his 49-0 title defense, and panicked when he realized he was fighting a good fighter
Holmes v Spinks I Round 1: 10-9 Holmes Round 2: 10-9 Holmes Round 3: 10-9 Spinks Round 4: 10-9 Spinks Round 5: 10-10 Even Round 6: 10-9 Spinks Round 7: 10-9 Spinks Round 8: 10-9 Spinks Round 9: 10-9 Holmes Round 10: 10-10 Even Round 11: 10-9 Spinks Round 12: 10-9 Spinks Round 13: 10-10 Even Round 14: 10-9 Holmes Round 15: 10-9 Holmes Total: 145-143 Spinks I have no idea why Homes abruptly stopped whacking the body - which clearly effected Spinks. I have to score their second fight cuz it's in my head now.
I had the same numeric result. I personally think Holmes probably could have been gifted that night, but judges were not feeling too kindly toward him I guess. I know one fight before this he was gifted, maybe the judges didn't feel like coddling him. I had Michael two points ahead in 1, but I had Larry ahead 10-5 in the second fight. I don't know what fight the latter judges were watching. Anyone remember the look on Larry's face when he heard the decision for Spinks II? I always wondered what Larry said to Michael when he came over to visit his corner after the fight, didn't look too happy.
Judges weren't watching. It was payback for Holmes comment on Marciano which wasnt all that far from the truth IMO. Exaggerated yes but not off the mark.
I think that might have been what really irked the politicos of the time... That it might have truth to it. That said, they were both great fighters imo.
