5 Fav Larry Holmes fights?

My favourite fight of his is against Cooney I love how despite all this hype Larry humbled all the racism and stigma behind the fight with a simple phrase.
“Let’s have a good fight”

 

Shavers was a great performance for sure. I could easily have it in my 5. I guess it just depends what you want to see at a particular time. Others might choose Shavers II over their initial bout due to the intense excitement generated by the heavy knockdown and Holmes having to come back from the brink. If you are after Holmes boxing at his best tho the first fight is certainly the choice.

 

Agree on everything. The Norton, Weaver, Shavers II, and Witherspoon fights really showcase the astounding Championship Heart of Larry's.

I just love the artistry of the first Shavers fight. Larry was starting to really tear Earnie apart at the end, I don't think ES would have made it past the 13th round that night. Total mastery...in some ways it might have been his most technically poised and perfect performance. I tend to imagine George against him even during that early time and, though he was a far better fighter than Shavers, I think Foreman would have lost by UD.

 

I think Larry had him in the 2nd, and it was a sign that he was declining a bit that he left him off the hook. However, it turned into an exciting, competitive fight. Larry really made him drunk and then mugged him lol.

 

I like Foreman but lets face it either warrior could win that. Two great fighters and the stylistic match would be mouth watering.

Shavers was probably his best pure performance i reckon. Earnie's tank was definitely about empty at the end.

 

The prime Foreman/Holmes dream bout is right up there for me with Bowe/Lewis. Would love to have seen them....I can't say I wouldn't have betting picks in mind, but they would be made a little uneasily all the same. Great matchups for sure.

 

Why did you say Holmes didn’t have Ali’s chin? Cos he got koed by Tyson?

 

In high school-----Larry had been dominant for so long, Along comes this young lookalike { Carl Williams} . Tough fight. Williams fought well. However Larry gutted it out for a decision. I thought this was his end. Jesus no did i think he could fight for a decade and more. The recovery from that Shavers punch symbolizes Larry as a fighter. No one -----ok maybe a few- could ever get up from that punch. The Norton 15th when in trouble.....Larry fires off those left crosses to survive? beautiful. Happy Fathers Day Everyone

 

I had Holmes winning that fight by 2 points, and ONLY because Williams slacked off or was too tired in the last few rounds. Witherspoon made the same rookie mistake. You can't just be ahead after 3/4 of the fight and ride loose.

That said, I think Larry needed at the time to really assess his abilities. It seems to me, had he taken maybe nine months completely off and come back, he could have done quite well against the vast majority of the heavies (stopped Spinks, for instance)...though I'm pretty darn sure his chances wouldn't have improved against Tyson (I profoundly doubt he would have done any worse, though).

 

Tyson
Mccall
Spinks
Neilson
Holyfield

 

I was in a hotel room drinking too many beers when the he lost to Spinks #1. Completely dumbfounded as to why he did not just hunt him down,,,I remember the announcers saying that he was not "pulling the trigger:. Anyways----the second fight was a travesty. He won that fight and everyone knows it. What happened during that brief period? The Holmes of the early 90s was so much better. Burnout? Did he get tired of fighting the young guys after Witherspoon? Name me a heavy who was so good-----maybe not great---for so long. Someone said on this post earlier-----he simply was a great fighter. Let the people talk..... No one with the exception of Ali and Foreman on a good day beats him. too tough, too durable. You cannot knock him out. Outpoint him? Peace everyone

 

I would have thought Larry being down against Snipes, the trouble he was in against Witherspoon and Weaver compared to Ali surviving the bombs of Foreman, Liston, Lyle seemingly unshaken edges it towards Ali.

Plus their relative reactions to being hit by Shavers. Fair enough, Earnie got Larry on the button but that was prime Holmes. Ali was 35, probably ill and had taken far more punishment during the fight when Earnie really nailed him in the 14th and he seemed to take it better. It does all point to Ali but not having Ali's chin is no sleight.

The Tyson kayo doesn't really factor in evaluating Larry. He was rusty, out of shape and just after the cash. That said, even prime Larry would have been in trouble if he had taken the bombs Tyson was throwing. But that's a big if.

 

Shavers - 1st fight
Norton
Weaver
Cooney
Witherspoon

 

Could this be someone who REALLY doesn't like Larry Holmes? lol