[RING, 1981] Holmes interview: Trashes EM Muhammad, discusses other fighters

Excerpt from an interview where Holmes says some really foul things about Eddie Mustafa Muhammad and offers his opinions on some of the other ranked heavyweights.

Randy Gordon, "Pulling No Punches: An Interview with Larry Holmes" (Jan. 1981 Ring, pp. 33-37)


[…]
R: There is still one subject, one topic you’ve stayed away from: Eddie Mustafa Muhammad, formerly known as Eddie Gregory.

LH: Eddie Gregory, plain ol’ Eddie Gregory… He has an identity crisis. Larry Holmes don’t need to change his name for identity. Larry Holmes has worked too hard to get where he is. He worked too hard to make a name for himself, and he’s not about to change it after all that work. Think about it! Eddie Gregory spent years in making a name for himself, in getting people to know him. So what does he do? He wins a title and changes his name. Next topic?

R: But still, the idea of fighting Eddie is not so far-fetched when you consider that Billy Conn fought the great Joe Louis and was ahead for 12 rounds before getting careless and stopped in the 13th. If the match can be made against Eddie, would you take it?

LH: Let me say this: Billy Conn was a boxer. A great boxer. Eddie Gregory is not a boxer. Eddie Gregory is a catcher, Johnny Bench the second. He catches everything you throw at him. He can’t beat somebody who can punch like me, who can box like me, somebody who has no fear of Eddie Gregory. A man looking for identity. Eddie is nothing!

R: He thinks he can beat you rather easily.

LH: He’s lucky he can beat light heavyweights. Any heavyweight, even a terrible one, would knock him out. He’s nothing. James Scott wiped the floor with Gregory over in that jail, killed him, told Eddie he was a f----t and a sissy. Eddie just stood there and said (Larry’s voice raised to a falsetto level), “Yeah, honey, I know it. Just take it easy on me, baby.” If Gregory fights Scott again, I predict Gregory will get beat up. He’ll get the s--t knocked out of him. I hate Eddie Gregory because he’s a f----t. He was a welterweight back in 1972 when he was hoping to make the Olympic Games. But he was s--t then, and got beat up. Now he has eaten some collard greens and corn bread, went up to 180 pounds, changed his name, and swears he can beat a big, bad dude like me. He’s got to be out of his mind!

R: You don’t really dislike Eddie, do you?

LH: He’s crazy! His head is blown up like a balloon. He’s take n so many punches that you can see the fight wounds all over his body. Eddie ain’t nothin’.

R: Will the fight be made? Eddie Mustafa Muhammad against Larry Holmes.

LH: Hell no! He’s good as a light heavyweight, but not as a heavyweight. The man is too stupid. He won’t even hold on to that title he has. The only way I’ll fight him is if he comes to my gym when I’m training. I’ll knock him out for free.”

R: You’re being asked serious questions, yet you’re making jokes out of them. Eddie is not kidding. He wants fo tight you.

LH: Eddie Gregory wants publicity. You’re helping him get it. Eddie Gregory ain’t nothing. Let him get his own identity. Stop building him up on my expense! He’s a f----t, and I don’t want nothing to do with him. Eddie should be sent over to Iran, and all those hostages should be sent home to their families. He’d be doing something worthwhile if he exchanged himself for those hostages. We want them home. Nobody would miss Eddie.

R: I think it’s time to talk about some other fighters. Give us your opinion on some of today’s ranking heavyweights. Let’s start with Leon Spinks.

LH: He’s a good fighter, at least for a few rounds. If he puts himself together, he’ll be a real good fighter.

R: Michael Dokes.

LH: I feel he has a lot of potential. He’s got a lot of speed. If he gets all the c-ckiness out of him, if he puts it all together, he’ll be a champion.

R: Bernardo Mercado

LH: His heart is as big as a mustard seed. He’s strong and hits hard, but he don’t have too much heart.

R: Gerrie Coetzee

LH: Gerrie Coetzee never had anything. He never impressed me. He’s tall, how’s that? He shows a little boxing ability and some power, but I don’t see him doing much.

R: Mike Weaver.

LH: Weaver is a strong fighter. As a boxer he’s not too good. He has a big heart, but not too much determination. I think Mike Weaver is just a lucky fighter.

R: Gerry Cooney.

LH: Gerry Cooney is the “Great White Hope.” He has a lot of potential. He’s big, he’s strong, he’s learned to use the left real well. He’s got a great chance of becoming heavyweight champion of the world as long as he don’t fight me.

R: You’ve been quote as calling Cooney ‘The Great White Hoax for White Dopes.” Is that true?

LH: Yes, it is. There are white fans who are praying for a white champion. Those fans believe Cooney is the man who an beat me. If they believe that, then they’re dopes, and Cooney is their hoax. But I’ll fight him. We can make good money. Cooney will learn a lot about boxing, and maybe he’ll learn something when he loses to me. He’ll be okay, just as long as he don’t fight me.

R: One more heavyweight for you… His name is Larry Holmes.

LH: “Baddest n---- in the world! People have never given him his just due. He proved he can whip everybody in the world, that he can fight, that he can take a shot, that he can punch, that he can box, and has a big heart and the will to win. He’s one bad n----!”