Could Larry Holmes have been undisputed if he tried?

The 80s heavyweights probably had more raw talent than those of any other decade.Those guys just
utterly wasted their God given talent.

 

To people who were there back in the day of his reign (which means all the boxing fans I knew), Larry was the only heavyweight champion for 7 years, give or take.

His close fight with Witherspoon wasn't as much an indicator of his decline as many think imo. He had had super close calls with Snipes, Shavers, and Weaver. So tough fights with seemingly lower echelon fighters weren't uncommon.

Among the people I knew, the times when Holmes seemed most dubiously motivated were during the Rodriguez, Frank, and Frazier fights. But even then, few thought Holmes could lose against Dokes, Coetzee, Page, or Thomas. His extended stint as Undefeated put a sheen on his championship reign that didn't seem likely to dim.

Until the Williams fight.

 

Let's just say that if it had been attempted, he would have been the most likely candidate to walk away with all the belts, and leave it at that.

 

There's all kinds of cautionary tales in that decade.

 

I’d pick Holmes when he was 30-34 or so to beat everyone who was around at the time.

 

If he was focused and before 1983, he probably could do the do.

 

According to The Pictorial History of Boxing Holmes gained the undisputed status when he beat Ali.

 

You mean "lineal".

 

Nope, undisputed. The term lineal wasn't used that often back then. Also, undisputed didn't always mean "the holder of all major belts". Quote:

On October 2, however, he made himself the undisputed world champion when he forced Muhammad Ali to retire at the end of the tenth round at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, after a pathetic display by the former triple titleholder, who had not fought for two years and had undergone a drastic weight reduction that left him a mere shadow of ‘his former greatness’

 

Obviously

 

When a guy you really like doesn't get something you can just make up exceptions for him.

No, Holmes was not undisputed. He didn't care.


"but undisputed didn't matter yet" holds about as much water as "but black fighters didn't matter yet" . Sure, okay, doesn't mean you should just hand awards out to those who did not do it. Plenty of men before Holmes qualify as undisputed, because they actually were.


As to could he? I dunno, but giving the benefit of doubt is an insult to those who did.



Was it a month ago youse guys were making up reasons and justifications to call Wlad undisputed? Absurd, they simply did not achieve what others did.

 

I'd say it's just a proclamation in a random book. Huge chance they meant lineal, as such.

 

Holmes, Thomas, Spoon, Weaver, Coetzee, Dokes, Page...these are most likely the players unless Cooney gets involved. I would favor Holmes but it's a big task for anyone to overcome.

Sure.

 

Assuming he made the effort early enough to unify the titles and beat the best out there then yes. By 1983-1984 it was still possible but a lot harder. By 1985, forget it

 

It's not just a proclamation in one book, that was a common opinion back then.