Ali overrated says Larry Holmes

Don't quit! :good

 

He probably is a bit overrated

 

Holmes/Ali would have been a great fight I have it a 50/50 bet I also think Ali/Johnson would have been great.

 

Obviously the reason he has said this is , outside the boxing world he doesnt really get much recognition , and the fact is he is one of the greatest heavyweights of all time , and hes overshadowed by sort of celebrity figures such as Ali , Tyson etc , so u can understand why he might be pissed off , although slagging off Ali is probably the wrong way to put your point across.

 

Holmes was a very good fighter, but he's so bitter.

 

Larry does get carried away to a ridiculous extent a lot, and will probably go to his grave thinking he was the greatest ever and that everyone is stupid for never applauding him for this but I wonder whether he is maybe partially (very very slightly) correct - I mean I certainly think that Ali was over rated in one sense - just in the sense that how can someone who is universally rated number 1 in history not be over rated?? And Earnie Shavers said that Ali's jab was nothing and that Larry's was miles better - so certain things that experienced guys pick up on - having fought the guy - but then I rather go with what people said about him who fought him when he was young - like Patterson and Chuvalo both said the difference was huge really - like 2 different fighters. But yeah he is over rated big time on a career basis but individually as a fighter at his peak there weren't many better than him - Larry just wishes he was one of the greatest thats all

 

I love the 'Salty Meal' theory about Holmes.

 

The truth is somewhere in between.

 

If Larry would just take a piece of Humble Pie, he would be more well-respected.

He should be a 'statesman' for boxing, which is in need of someone like that now.
He doesn't or shouldn't have to prove anything.
We all know Muhammad Ali was over-rated.

In the over-all, Muhammad Ali rates higher than Larry Holmes in the All-Time Greats.
But head-to-head, most in the know, realize Larry would have won versus Ali.

 

the thing is ali was not renound for his power punches he was more in flurries which i suppose a singular punch wouldnt be that effective but numerous punches does take its toll just like a gassed george foreman found out.

But on a singular punch basis yeah it was like a butterfly compared to the sting of joe frazier. But ali threw more punches.

 

**** sake! You didn't aggressively criticise him! You're making progress man.

 

Me too.

 

Yeh i'am well with yer on this:yep

Always the case at any time when you've a top act to follow such as Ali for larry & much the same as the treatment Holyfield received after Tyson got banged up. It's all about being media savvy at the end of the day & who's got the most sellable ink gets the joe casual support & larry was hardly media savvy on his best day was he.

 

Larry was a primary sparring mate of Ali's as Muhammad prepared for Kinshasa, and of course stopped Rodney Bobick on the under card at Manila, so he has some idea of what Ali's best was during the 1970s. However, he came along too late to have experienced Muhammad's 1960s peak as Chuvalo did in competition, and Ellis did in sparring. Overrated? Perhaps. But Holmes may not be genuinely qualified to say just how good Ali was at his best.

Interestingly, Bob Sheridan has been quoted as rating Holmes the greatest heavyweight he ever saw, and he was the live blow by blow announcer in Kinshasa. So Holmes does have his supporters in the media.

 

It's amazing how some individuals get old, and then get bitter.Holmes has a right to his opinion, but, damn, phrase it right.