Boxers who could achieve Larry Holmes's title reign?

These points are often conveniently overlooked by Larry-bashers. Why fight Page when both Berbick and Bey beat him?

Why fight Thomas when Berbick beat him? At the time before the actual fight, Berbick was considered past it, while Thomas was considered possibly the best heavy in the world....ewps, wrong!

 

Tyson, Lewis, Fury, Wlad, Vitali, Liston

 

Liston is an interesting idea. Have to think about that one...

 

I'm not going to go into this debate again, as I've discussed this quite alot in the past 2 months or so, and I've already pointed it out numerous times why in other threads.

But all I'll say is your points are all hindsight, Page was Holmes's mandatory in 83. And Holmes decided to vacate his belt, and fought two uninspiring opponents in Frazier and Frank.

And Thomas was undefeated throughout the whole of Larry Holmes's title reign, and was definitely more deserving of a shot than Holmes's other opposition, for atleast a good 2 or 3 year window.

I'm not a Holmes basher BTW, Holmes is one of the first fighters that I bought his career set. And i actually like him as a fighter, but towards the end of Holmes's title reign. He opted for a few easier defences to get to Marciano's record.

 

That was his prerogative. Judging from Page's career, I really don't think he had much to fear there (especially in 1983).

But hey, Larry's my favorite fighter so obviously I'm inherently biased.

 

Theoretically all of them could, but as the poll asked for favorites, went with Frazier, Marciano, and Liston.

 

Tyson would have a field day with Holmes’ defenses but he’ need the fights condensed into a shorter period or he might get derailed by lack of focus or out of ring activities.

 

That is the trouble with Bowe. Unfortunately for him, he hung around as champ for just a year. And also beaten by a guy that he'd bashed for it in the first place.
So it is kinda hard to imagine him lasting as long as Holmes.
So yes mate, he'd not manage imo to

 

Yea I think Bowe eventually loses motivation or the CTE sets in early again and he's dropping the title before Holmes did. He won the title from Holy in what 93 and the golota fights were in 96, so maybe around year 3 he starts petering out. Berbick, Snipes(the one who showed up for Holmes), Witherspoon, Cooney, Williams all dangerous for an upset with an unmotivated and past his best Bowe.

 

And more than likely, a guy that Bowe would have ktfo a couple of years earlier, ends up belting him around the ring.

 

Agreed

 

Witherspoon, Williams, beat Bowe IMO. Bowe even in his prime had issues vs fighters that boxed him on the outside.

Washed up versions of Tubbs and Biggs, gave Bowe all he could handle.

 

Few and far between to be honest.

It's not even that the level of his opposition was all that good, its more the run of form that you need to stay unbeaten against that level of fighter.

There are a lot more champions that can dominate for a relatively short period, than there are that can do that.

 

Am I the only person that would be nervous watching Lennox Lewis vs Bonecrusher Smith ?

 

Even if he stayed focused, he was just too susceptible to CTE for whatever reason. He'd never survive long term. Part of maintaining a long reign is genetic luck to be resistant to that.

If we remove that issue, then yeah, I think he could easily have run the table on Holmes's reign.