Prime Holmes in the 90s

I honestly believe Larry was a bad matchup for Lennox and would have won a decision.

 

Larry would do really well dismantling an old Holyfield, old Tyson and guys like Tua, Ike, Rahman, Sanders, Byrd ect. Lewis would beat him though imo, Holmes should probably start the 90s at his peak though,

So if we say Holmes starts his title run in 1990, (Norton fight) vs Tyson (Douglas fight) he'd beat most easy tbh.

He wins the title, defences against Holyfield's. Wins.
Then old Foreman, again wins.
Errrr Tyson rematch? Yeah, Holmes again, wins.
Bowe in 1992, wins, close decision, rematch warranted. (Holmes is at peak for this one, time links up with the Ali fight)
Takes on Dokes and Ferguson just as Bowe did, beating both easily.
Bowe rematch, both slightly past it, same result.
Beats Moorer, has issues with the southpaw stance, but ultimately wins, different class.
Beats Old Foreman again, or maybe Mercer, Morrison or a separate challenger.
He'd definitely beat a post prison Tyson.
Lewis by 97 beats any Holmes, but imo definitely beats this version (which would be like an 85 equivalent).

He'd probably take a few fights like Tua, Ike or Byrd as well, winning imo but only whilst in/near his prime.

 

Lewis and prime Bowe would be tough fights for him. I think Lewis would beat him but Bowe vs Holmes would be a war and a pickem fight.

 

He'd be right in the mix but noway is he going thru without losses. Plenty of very good to great fighters running around and big strong contenders lurking as well. It was an extremely strong era - immensely stronger that the last of the 70's up to Tyson.

 

I think pre-Steward Lewis was a basically one-armed fighter and would have been TKO'd in 8, while Steward era might just barely lose a split decision.

Pretty much the same with Bowe, only reverse. Holmes has a terrible time with Bowe and might get knocked down, but squeaks by with a split. Post-Holy III Bowe gets stopped in 10.

Prison-Tyson would have gotten stopped earlier than prime, within 5 imo.

As far as 90s Foreman...though I certainly can see George possibly winning against Larry in his prime, the 90s version...I just see him getting whipped way worse than Morrison beating him. It seemed almost impossible to knock the Big version of George down, but I see Larry making him into a staggering stumble-bum ala Leroy Jones in 8 and the ref having to stop the fight.

Moorer gives Larry fits in bursts, but gets knocked down and stopped in 12.

Now, Holyfield, that's tougher. The Holy that fought Bowe that first time was about as great a fighter as I can think of. I think Holy would have been the type that Larry might have underestimated and fought like hell to win a split decision over.

I should mention, I actually believe Herbie Hide might have given Larry a little trouble in the early rounds. He was really tricky with big men, and was deceptively powerful (especially for his size).

Guys like Ruddock and Mercer would end up going the Leroy Jones route as well, getting some nice shots in early but fading badly, dazed victims of that left jab and right cross combination. I don't see Morrison going 9.

So yeah, the sycophantic Larry Homes guy sees him beating everybody...but really having to squeak by on a few.

 

Actually, pre-Steward Lewis had a better left hook than the one Steward trained.

 

Perhaps. But the real question is, would Holmes FACE all of the best fighters of the 90s if he were prime ? Larry passed up on some of the better and more qualified men of his own era. Suppose that he goes out there and takes on all comers, he’d likely do very well, but I’m not convinced he’d dominate for years on end. For all his fine attributes Larry Holmes was a vulnerable champion and the 90s were not the time to be sloppy or complacent.

 

The problem is size. Larry in his prime was not comparable in size to the guys in the 1990s. But he had so much skill he would probably outbox many of them.

 

He could well do, but it's a huge ask, for Larry Holmes to go undefeated throughout the '90s.

 

And this is it. There'd certainly be no rematches. I'm not sure anyone would go thru the 90's undefeated. Best hope would be Ali.

 

Well he's probably fighting for a title around 1994 ish. That's the time Foreman and Mccall shook the world, so a prime Holmes definitely wins a belt then. He'd beat old George and Holyfield but not sure about Lewis.

 

True - but surely you accept that this had as much to do with the timing and path of Holmes' career, as well as the available talent etc..., as he entered the high-end of competition in late '70's and into the early '80s?

 

- '90s opposition!!