Best contender that Larry Holmes didn't fight.

Page might well be the best pick, given that he was well rated on paper. But, Thomas probably posed a bigger threat as Anthony has already commented on. Neither Page nor Thomas really have the sort of resumes that warrant the type of criticism that Holmes has received for not fighting them. Certainly not on the level of someone like Harry Wills who Dempsey avoided, and possibly not even on the level of Elmer Ray who Louis never fought. Page and Thomas were simply rated highly by the governing bodies and Holmes Steared clear of them - possibly more due to politics and business reasons more than anything else.

Larry Holmes losing his WBC title in 1983, will always be a scar on the face of his resume, but frankly I think that a bit too much is made of it. Holmes defeated men who were just as good and perhaps even a few who were a tad better during his reign. I also think that his parting with Don King which involved a nasty feud in the process had something to do with some of those matches not being made...

 

Dokes' power was a bit overrated.

 

Whatever his reasons for doing it, he ditched the WBC's ruinous new 12 round time limit in the process, and restored the championship distance to heavyweight title fights. (Years later, Larry insisted on having his match with Mercer be scheduled for 12 rounds rather than ten, a manly insistence for an aging boxer to make against a younger and undefeated opponent. I'm relieved that his title defense against Michael Spinks was over 15 rounds. For Hagler to have retired after a 12 rounder has always left a disgusting taste in my mouth. Championship fights should be for 15 rounds, period.)

 

The majority of other champions didn't give up their title. Look, Holmes come out and stated he wasn't fighting Page, Coetzee, Thomas or a Witherspoon rematch among other notables. I mean, who else did all this really?

 

Now i am going to have to rewatch it by damn :fire

 

Is that why he signed to fight Coetzee, but the fight ended up being dropped in a month before fight night? If I'm correct, the fight being dropped had nothing to do with the fighters.

 

The answer is Page.

You could make an argument for Coetzee as well. Pinklon's time at that level was very short. By the time Dokes really had the resume it was too late.

 

Greg Page, Mike Weaver rematch, Pinklon Thomas, Gerrie Coezier (sp?), and Michael Doke were all deserving, but never got the fight.

 

Witherspoon and Thomas deserved rematches.

 

Holmes stated he refused to fight Coetzee, for years due to apartheid Bill. When, against all odds Coetzee flogged Dokes etc and the fight became a MASSIVE money grab he was all of a sudden over his South African aversion.

Now work that one out

 

Witherspoon and Weaver you mean, of course.

 

Holmes always went for the highest purse. When I think of ducking, I think of someone not fighting another person because they think they will lose. Holmes never did that, he always went for the highest amount of money. There was only ever one exception to this, and that was for George Foreman. He would have fought George for $10 million less than George's purse.

 

Well, then Dempsey didn't duck Wills, I suppose.

Anyhow, discussing endlessly about what Holmes' motivations in not meeting these men were doesn't give that much IMO. It's enough to state that he never proved himself against 4-5 of the best HWs around during his reign.

 

What about Buster Douglas??
He wasnt consistant but when given the chance to fight for the title he certainly shone
coupled with wins over 3 former/future/current world champions Berbick McCall Tyson and to add to that Greg Page.....Douglas on the right night could have been hell for Larry

 

oops! I meant Witherspoon and Williams. And I guess you could include Weaver as well. To me, it's kind of funny that those rematches were never made considering how close and controversial those fights were. When a champion barely squeaks by a challenger, especially a challenger that was not viewed as a major threat going into the fight, and then refuses a rematch, something is fishy!