Anyone see '79 Larry Holmes losing a classic matchup? I don't!

He would beat everybody like he beat Ossie Ocasio. Knock them out with the jab.

 

Holmes is pretty underrated imo. I think I rank him higher both h2h and on an ATG list than most people

 

haha i saw you state someone similar on another thread gaul so i've not surprised you started a thread about holmes. he was damn good all time and rates very highly h2h.

i'll give it a shot:

i don't think he had the speed to handle ali of 67, the tenacity or in fighting to take frazier of 71 or the strength to keep marciano off him for 15 rounds

 

Larry was a great and ranks at #4 (although I switch him and Marciano at 3-4 alot) overall on my list, and while I have not done an official H2H list imagine he would fall in the top 5. He would not be an easy out for anyone and would not favor many (any???) to beat him???

1. Louis and Ali would probably be slight favorites, but think it goes the distance either way.

2. Marciano, Frazier, Tyson (and maybe Dempsey to a lesser degree for me anyway) would certainly present alot of pressure that he would have difficulty overcoming, but don't know that I would favor them (or him for that matter).

3. Lewis, Wlad, Vitali would all present difficult match-ups IMO, but i would favor him over these.

4. Of those outside the top 10 (mine anyway) I believe Walcott, Norton, Tunney, would be live underdogs..and have always liked Max Schmelling's chances here as well.

5. Liston Jeffries and Foreman I envision him being able to pick apart if he remains paitent.

Overall I think he fares extremely well H2H, but would have to think out a top 25 list and calculate outcomes which I have not done, and don't have on my list of things to do anytime soon!

 

I think that Holmes was definitely beatable.

The best fighters that he fought all gave him a stiff argument and some took him close to the edge.

I would not make him a strong favourite over any heavyweight in most peoples top 15.

 

While I don't necesarily agree, I enjoy your posts and respect your insights especially in some of the older fighters I am not as familiar with! So who for example in your opinion gives him the worst match-up or a certain style that you think he would struggle the most with???

 

to be fair, you're right and a past prime norton gave one last hurrah performance and took a PRIME holmes to the edge

 

He wouldn't beat Ali 6 years earlier or Ali from late 60ties,
Foreman would knock him out.

 

He was an exceptional fighter and at least in the middle of the top ten .... no one man dominates all based on style but he was a great one ..

 

Nearly unbeatable. I think Barbados Joe Walcott would spark him though.

 

Seriously?

 

ali,forman,louis,marciano,tyson,tunney,dempsey,frazier,jHONSON to name a few

 

I have always felt that Holmes rates better in a head to head sense, than he does in terms of actual legacy... However, he was decked by a relatively unknown Mike Weaver in 1979, and nearly KO'd by an aging and limited Shavers... His only other fight that year was Ossie Ocasio, which in the grand scheme of things means about as much as the value of a 1986 cadillac in 2010... I really don't think that these fights provide him with the unique shield of "unbeatable". In fact, I think that a peak Frazier or prime Tyson might have capitalized on some of the things that Weaver and Shavers set up, but couldn't finish....