43 year old Holmes vs Prime Tommy Morrison

Holmes actually came perilously close to getting knocked out in the first round against Ray Mercer. But he established control from that point fourth and put on a master class.

Tommy Morrison was fast, relentless, hard hitting and had a lethal left hook. But I think if Holmes ( who was not especially prone to getting hurt with lefts ) could survive the first 6 rounds he has a very good chance of winning.

 

Holmes in a closer fight than the one he had with Mercer for me. A few scary moments here or there but he takes the decision with the jab and superior boxing skills.

 

Holmes was tough & cagey but had nothing to give Morrison pause, power-wise. High risk fight for both.

 

He made tougher guys then Morrison pause IMO… though he’s 40ish here… if he can and he will IMO get Morrison to run the typical game plan and just go to the ropes there isn’t anything Tommy can do nor is he smart enough to not follow (he’s not stressing like he did with Foreman) or good enough to box with Larry, I think it’s possible he gasses in a similar but less exciting circumstance as he did with Mercer and gets pumped.

 

Maybe pause wasn’t the right word, but I mean he had no means with which to really threaten Morrison on a KO. That’s bad news for Holmes. Morrison will certainly follow, but he was at his best moving in for the kill. I do not have a hard time imagining Holmes getting hurt & finished off along the ropes.

Holmes was a lot shrewder, & pretty game, though not as gifted as his mentor Ali at surviving while wounded. I wouldn’t bet on any outcome here, personally.

 

Do you think he was that close Goo? I hadn't seen it for years and had to take a fresh look. He had a good wobble after a jab of all things but i thought he did quite well during Mercer's follow up and he never looked like going down.

 

Mercer beat Morrison for one specific reason and that's because he has one of boxing's great chins. Holmes would in no way be able to take a fraction of what Mercer shipped. Tommy forced a firefight with a guy he should have boxed. Forcing a firefight with Holmes is the right strategy for him and I see Morrison exploding Holmes' chin into fragments. Old Holmes did not have the movement or firepower to keep Tommy off him in my opinion.

 

Can't deny it, it's a dangerous match for Holmes.
If Larry can do what he did against mercer tho and take him in the late round s then there's a chance Tommy gasses.

 

That's the same dude who's chin survived Earnie Shavers btw.

 

Shavers was heavy on the hands and light on the skills. Holmes also wasn't over 40 at the time.

 

You're correct Mercer had him off balance with a jab Holmes was stunned/surprised but I don't think he was in any real trouble.

The fighter who had Holmes hurt the most in his 2nd career was Ferguson who did badly rock Holmes along the ropes and had him out on his feet.

As for this match up Holmes beat Mercer handily came within 1 point of beating McCall and won 4 rounds against a prime Holyfield. I think Holmes would able to beat Morrison unless he gets caught early whilst he's cold.

 

How does he force Holmes into a firefight? More skilled fighters failed to do that, it was a notable asset of his in key comeback bouts that trying to hit him on the ropes (where Larry will go) was a messy, obnoxious route that didn’t work very well even if you won… Morrison wouldn’t last that long his stamina… I don’t think Morrison can box Holmes… I don’t think anyone thinks that, I also don’t think he’s going to be able to stop himself following Larry to the ropes (His brain or his limitations will force him to) and when he does it’ll be pretty one sided there but that’s my nothing 0.2$

 

Larry’s chin was iron but your right age is so crucial, Foreman didn’t have many miles on his from the 70s so he was still very solid the roughest it got was Lyle, Ali and Young… Holmes had a full career as a champion lots of long ones and quite a few close ones when he was slipping off the throne, got clocked by Tyson then started a real comeback he was very smart with his defence he was on “battery saver” mode every match lol.

 

I just don't think Holmes' movement was the equal of his younger self. Morrison is an underrated boxer and I think he'd have the goods to force exchanges. Now, if you're making the argument that Holmes might be able to weather the storm and then turn the tables on a gassed Tommy ... well, maybe. In my opinion he's too old and too slow for a young gun with heaps of power like TM but, you never know.