43 years ago today: Lawrence "The Easton Assassin" Holmes vs. Osvaldo "Jaws" Ocasio

Holmes was an excellent fighter. He had the boxing skills, the conditioning, the toughness, the speed, the will, a good right hand, and that JAB, he didn't really lack anything. I've heard young guys who weren't born at the time talk about Holmes' knockdown of Ocasio with the jab.

 

Ocasio beat Jimmy Young twice at heavyweight, fought to a draw with Dokes, lost a SD to Mercer...No laughing stock and a tough fight for most heavyweights.

 

Larry had been perceived as an on-his-toes Ali imitator, owing in large part to his masterclass decision over Earnie Shavers in their first fight (a wise approach) but while he could stick and move at a world class level, he could also plant and bring heat.

He spent most of this fight walking Ocasio down, in part I think to remind people he *could* be a puncher and in part because he had scouted Jaws and knew he could be a trick proposition if you sat back and tried to figure him out (which Jimmy Young failed to do over the course of two fights).

One of Larry’s greatest attributes was his versatility. He could adapt and utilize different tools from his toolbox as needed.

Having reviewed much of his career over the past few years (the part that is available on video that is), one of the striking things is that Larry is HUGELY underappreciated as a body puncher. He isn’t a guy who sells out on the body attack but almost every fight there’s points where he drops really brutal shots downstairs.

He also has a better left hook than is usually credited. Again it’s not at the top of his menu, but he reaches into his bag when it suits him to bang somebody around with that hook.

 

Wing, heck. They would just name it the Larry Holmes Jab Hall of Fame and hire Jaws Ocasio as a greeter.

 

Knock down jab at 35:30, Larry's jab was other-worldly.

 

Earnie Shavers, in his book, described Larry's jab as landing like a right hand. Sure looks like that was accurate here.

 

He went the distance with Lennox Lewis. That's no bad going.

 

I don't understand why he was ever viewed as an Ali imitator, other than the fact he was a sparring partner for Ali. He doesn't fight like Ali, unless you think any fast mobile fighter who likes to pot-shot with a jab from the outside is an Ali imitator. His punching technique is pretty different from Ali's -- look at their jabs, their rights, etc. Also as to his style in general, he relies more on technique than sheer athletic ability. He avoids clinches. If anything, he uses tricks more similar to George Foreman than Ali -- see how he'll push an opponents shoulder to cause them to have to reset, how he'll pull down an opponent's guard, his shoving (he does it with a forearm to the face and stepping past the opponents, not with pure brute force, but he still does it), his stiff arming, etc.

Heck, he even rope-a-dopes completely differently (seemed worth mentioning).

God forbid two dominant champs had fast feet, fast hands, and a good jab.

 

Ali had the most versatile jab of any HW imo, but Holmes easily takes the cake for the strongest jab in the division ever for me. I agree Holmes technique was a lot similar to Foreman, how he would paw and opponents to smother their punches, push the shoulder to put them off balance, his ability to frame is spectacular. I feel like Holmes was the wrong man in the wrong time. He would be held in much higher regard had he fought in a stronger era, and continued his dominance for as long. I just feel like the names on Holmes resume would be much more prestigious if he had fought during the mid 60's. Or sometime in the 30's.

 

Ocasio wasn’t an elite fighter but you HAD to be one to beat him. He took a lot of good men the distance and even beat Jimmy Young, Dwight Qawi and Pierre Coetzer. Also won a cruiser title. Not a bad fighter by any means

 

Yow, those bodyshots didn't do Ossie any favors.

 

Holmes had a late start. He didn't actually need to be younger, just to discover boxing when younger, and be given a break before he was damn near 30. Interesting thought about Holmes there. He was basically on his own until he beat Shavers at age 29, learning via working as a sparring partner to the big dogs. He was past his physical prime before he had a chance to begin to reach his boxing prime.

Here's a fun one to consider -- the Holmes who fought Shavers the first time vs. post-exile Ali.