I'm going to use this as an excuse to look through some of my old boxing magazines, and I'll report back if I find anything interesting.
Who was his idol growing up? He's mentioned Joe Louis, Ali, and Frazier. Was he considered exciting to watch? He could be terrifically exciting, but he had a few stinkers (Rodriguez perhaps the most glaring) What were his strengths and weaknesses? Best jab in the heavyweight division, one of his weaknesses was his overreliance on the jab to win (but who could blame him?). Had really good, not devastating straight right and cross, had a Bowe-level right uppercut. Had a left hook that was mostly just there and could have just not existed at all, really. Undermentioned left uppercut. Where Ali just couldn't seem to keep his right up, Larry just let his left slack again and again. Could be too cautions (second round of the Cooney fight...he had him imo). His heart is one of the greatest of all time, period. His best performance. Shavers I, which is one of the greatest examples of Boxing Art I've ever seen...but when it comes to one of the greatest displays of championship heart in boxing history, go straight to the Witherspoon fight. Your all time ranking of him. #3, only Ali and Louis were greater.
I think one of Holmes' greatest strengths was his natural fitness and the way he knew how to pace himself over the fifteen-round haul. I watched the Cooney fight again not too long ago, and it's interesting: Cooney won at least four rounds, and without the point deductions would have only been a couple of points behind on my card going into the thirteenth, so without context it would appear a pretty competitive fight. But Holmes really picked and chose his moments in that fight and paced the performance perfectly. He knew when to step it up, and when he did Cooney didn't have the answers - you could see that gulf in class. Larry had a great, natural engine and instinctively understood when to raise his game. It's one of the reasons I have never agreed with the idea of the Witherspoon fight being a robbery - in my opinion Holmes won that by a couple of rounds or so largely because he outworked Tim in the vital moments. I'm not sure if it's been mentioned here yet, but in terms of his best performance I'm surprised that his masterclass against Mercer seldom gets mentioned. Holmes beat better fighters than Mercer, sure, but given the context of the fight it has to be up there with his wins over Shavers, Norton, Cooney, 'Spoon etc. Holmes was 42, legs totally gone and against an unbeaten, in-shape, genuinely good fighter in Mercer (the same Mercer who, with a flabby midriff, arguably beat Lewis a few years later), and Holmes won in style. That was a victory of intelligence, guile and coolness under pressure (he wasn't having it his own way early on) and damn fun to watch, too. Some of his right hand counters off the ropes were a joy to watch in that fight. For me, he's set in stone as my #3 Heavyweight of all time. Only Ali and Louis outrank him in my opinion.
We're simpatico. When Larry Holmes trumpets he's the greatest, all I can think is "yeah, you're the greatest living". And he excelled in the Mercer fight, even as far as heart goes...the left he got hit with in the first round nearly broke him in half.
@RulesMakeItInteresting already summed it all up great. Personally I rank him #2 all time h2h among heavyweights, behind Ali and very close with Frazier, I think Holmes and Frazier are on very close grounds.
1 He cried after he beat Ali you tell me he also supported Frazier in his retirement till death I’d consider them at least idols at later stages in his life as for childhood no such information he discovered boxing at 18 after all... so it was a non boxing related idol 2 No Inside game at all, weak physically in the clinch careful opponent picking as champion was his greatest ability really fighting green men and refusing to give rematches! he also had a great jab and excellent recovery. 3 Matter of opinion. 4 As a heavyweight based on achievement high H2H not as high as a lot of you... P4P he sees poor treatment as do most heavy-weight fighters given the nature of P4P but his dominance and achievements at an advance age have him in the middle. His best was against Ken Norton despite his injury and the class of opponent he held up too a vintage taste of skill and beat a very competent Norton despite being quite green in my eyes.
Holmes's greatest strength was his self discipline to stay in shape and live a sane and healthy lifestyle...unlike so many of his peers who never reached their full potential.
Why are people saying Holmes lacked power? He had a great right (which followed one of the universally accepted best left jabs). No heavy threw the one-two better than him apart from Louis and Liston. Holmes could do other stuff as well; more than Liston but less than Louis.
Holmes was one of 12 children. I don't think he had a hero growing up. He dropped out of school, I think in 7th grade to work. Yes, he had top speed, a great jab, and was as tough as they come. Holmes had an all round game to the head or the body, and set things up from his jab. He could move around the ring quickly, had very fast hands, and a top chin. Some would say his weakness is he's somewhat open to the ring hand, but I think that is overblown. This is boxing and guys get hit. Best performance? Maybe vs Leon Spinks. Best performance vs a top opponent, probably Norton. He rates in the top 5 in my book. Most champs have treble with their health or life after boxing. Holmes now 70 is still married to the same woman, and remains grounded.
He should, George and Larry very much vie for that Title. I have to give it to Larry based upon his holding and dominating the title for over seven years, 20 successful defenses. All long term champs have had lesser opponents, but overall Holmes did beat top contenders of his day, mostly in dominating fashion. But I find it impossible to argue strenuously against folks who put George higher. What he accomplished was incredible, still is.
On hero's Holmes was a self-made guy, who seemed jealous of those like Ali who attained hero status. Holmes was a plain-spoken guy who said what he felt was the truth. He didn't have the personality to become a media hero. With Holmes, it seems he had a why not me attitude more than admiration for others. At least in boxing. Cast as the other boxer that America didn't want to win three times in his career ( Ali, Cooney, and M Spinks ) and shafted on the cards in the 2nd Spinks fight, Larry was the Rodney Dangerfield of his times when it came to respect. He has it now. He didn't have enough respect as champion.
