When do you feel Larry Holmes stopped being the best heavyweight in the world? Was he still the best when losing to Spinks? Or maybe in '84 and '85 there was a contender who you consider better than him at the time? We know that after Cooney fight he started cherry picking opponents. Who had the better resume than him during that stretch?
When he lost to Spinks, for that brief period, Spinks was the best heavyweight in the world, before Spinks moved up, it was still Holmes, but he was declining, not just due to age, but also because he weighed a lot more by that point.
Probably after the first Witherspoon fight. He was still very good but was avoiding Pinklon Thomas and a rematch with Witherspoon.
After the Witherspoon fight Holmes started to cherry pick fights so I would say in 1984 that Thomas was probably the best Heavyweight in the world when he beat Witherspoon comprehensively as he'd been undefeated for 7 years aswell. I also believe Thomas would've beaten Holmes between 1984-1985.
Yep probably around 84 ISH. But still good enough to whip contender's and ex alphabet boys I'd think.
Its unclear because theres at least 3 guys he didn't fight who were probably better than Spinks in Tucker, Thomas and Douglas not to mention the Witherspoon rematch. Who was better than whom and when they were better is a great unknown. Guessing wise 84 is probably the year Holmes ceased being the best HW. In 83 none of the guys mentioned above would have beaten him except maybe Witherspoon.