Can anyone tell me more about Larry Holmes please?

Shavers I was what he considered to be his finest performance before 1982, where he suddenly came of age and won 34 of the 36 minutes. He's said he felt his best for Cooney, but I'm partial to his 15 round shutout of Tex Cobb, which occurred at a time when the ignorant boxing press was questioning his stamina and claiming that he was rapidly aging. (This allegation of rapidly aging was made as far back as his rematch with Shavers. It was wildly beyond everybody's imagination that he'd go out a winner at 53.)

An overlooked and underrated performance was his second defense against Ocasio. Ossie Ocasio only had 13 fights when he challenged Holmes, but he had just won back to back decisions over Jimmy Young, which prepared him as well for dealing with a great jab as any contender of the era possibly could have been. Larry destroyed him with his own jab anyway. In round seven, one of those jabs produced the first knockdown of the fight. Jaws had to struggle mightily to beat the count, and barely made it to his feet in time. It has been said that Louis and Liston could knock a man out with their jabs, but Holmes may be the heavyweight who actually came closest to doing this against championship caliber competition in a title match. (Ocasio would go on to become the first CW Champion with multiple successful defenses.) Ocasio would later draw with an undefeated Dokes in a match he really won, decision Qawi, and become the first opponent to last the distance with a young Lennox Lewis.

During his 1990s career, Mercer is an obvious must see. For a terrific late career display of right hand power, check out the body shot Larry used to separate Paul Poirier's rib cartilage, producing a delayed knockdown, and retiring him. Poirier has called it the hardest single punch he was ever hit with, high praise from an opponent who had shared the ring with Alex Stewart and Tony Tucker less than a year earlier. You can see the impact ripple completely through his torso from left to right. A massive shot. (For other examples of one punch power, check out Evangelista and both matches with Weaver.)

Many experts were predicting that Leon Spinks would upset him to become a champion again after Leon stopped a streaking Mercado in nine. This time, Leon legitimately earned a title shot in a WBC eliminator against a big and powerful slugger. Earlier in the year, a major boxing magazine published an article projecting how Larry would have done against history's other heavyweight champions. They figured that in his "prime," he would have been able to stop "The Vampire" in 12, but that as he was now supposed to be aging, Leon would win an upset split decision when they actually did meet. Holmes destroyed Leon in three, a typical demonstration of how hideously underrated he was by the press during his heyday.

With the exception of Jimmy Ellis (who never knew what hit him), and Jerry Quarry (who didn't even know he'd been hit until he saw the videotape the following day), just about everybody who was ever hit by Earnie Shavers said that Shavers was the hardest puncher they ever shared the ring with. (This includes Holmes and Tillis, the only common opponents of both Shavers and Tyson.) For his part, Earnie has indicated the hardest single punch he ever delivered in his career was the one he knocked down Holmes with in their rematch. Apparently, they scared the hell out of each other, Shavers frightening Larry with his power, and Holmes terrifying Earnie by getting up from his best shot, maybe the hardest single punch ever landed in a championship fight.

The most competitive successful title defenses of his reign were against Witherspoon and Williams, yet the decisions in both were not particularly controversial. Louis held the record for longest title reign in all divisions, but he was inactive during most of WW II. Holmes was the first undefeated boxer to win 20 consecutive championship defenses, and the first to do so in eight consecutive calendar years (Evangelista in 1978 to Bey and Williams in 1985).

His biggest deficit? He had a good hook (and one of those hooks rattled Leon Spinks about a minute before the end), but I don't recall him winning any matches with it like Ali did with Bonavena. Even Frazier was able to use his right to stop Jerry Quarry in their rematch, tearing Jerry's face open with it. Cooney did the same thing with his right against Jimmy Young, and Gerry initially stunned a surprised Norton with his right. I do not remember any such instance where Larry's hook decided the outcome of a match like this. However, while his own hook was no game changer, it must also be mentioned that he defended against the hook very effectively, and it was never a particularly useful weapon against him. (This was probably a vestige of his experiences sparring with Frazier.)

In defeating Cooney, he finally achieved a full measure of public acceptance. He landed a nationally televised commercial endorsement for KFC, reaching a level of mainstream recognition and popularity rare for a boxer in the United States even during the early 1980s. His match with Ali was broadcast live in the Soviet Union and People's Republic of China, making Larry more famous world wide than John Lennon could then dream of the Beatles becoming. (In China, the first news item ever provided about the Beatles in the state controlled media was about his assassination. So much for the man who once suggested that the Beatles were bigger than Christ.)

For me personally, Larry is a top three heavyweight along with Ali and Dempsey.

 

He got around 2 million more to fight Marvis than he would have to fight Page.

 

Best HW jab ever, underrated great and classy fighter.

 

one of the greatest fighters ever
He had the potential to beat any fighter, in his prime.
Also, of all the champs, he's probably the most bitter of all of them. He's the only one that's turned out to be an *******, i've seen him on many different docs, he's kind of an idiot. He says Ali's skills are over rated, Foreman is a joke, Frazier is just a pathetic slugger, etc, but he was a great boxer. 2nd or 3rd heavyweight ever.
His jab is probably the best ever.

 

One of the best jabs at heavyweight, best condition of his day, a lot of heart, weakness was susceptible to right hands. Negatives to his legacy was that he did not unify the title, never rematch a tough fight,Norton, Weaver , Witherspoon,Williams and gave up a version not to fight Greg Page

 

Great fighter, rather underappreciated in his day, due to the long shadow that the fighters of the early 70s and Muhammad Ali in particular cast, now has generally become considered one of the finest heavyweights of all time.

Best attributes were his jab, (which is probably the best in heavyweight history and if not the best, then certainly one of the top contenders for best in boxing history period), right cross and uppercut. The jab and straight right were like triphammers: hard, fast, ready to strike at any time. The uppercut was wicked and Larry often lured oncoming fighters into it as they moved forward on him. Larry had good speed and excellent movement, but furthermore he often used it very wisely, knowing how to move just enough to get out of range or how to sidestep a punch and use the angles for a new avenue of attack.

Good chin, fantastic heart and power of recovery. In particular the second bout with Earnie Shavers, who is almost universally regarded as the hardest hitting heavyweight in history, showed this off. Shavers hits Holmes with a huge right hand, (Larry tended to drop his left and thus was sometimes caught by the overhand right) one that really should have taken Larry's head off, and Holmes staggers up around 5 or 6, keeps his distance, avoids the wild attempts at a follow up, then TKOs Shavers later.

GPater's suggestions for Holmes fight from the first page are probably the best ones, but if you like you can gets started with this video by The Great A, one in a series which chronicle the history of the Heavyweight champions. As you get closer to the present in the series there tends to be more footage, (even individual sections for Holyfield and Lewis, if I remember right) so almost the first 7 minutes of this video is dedicated to Holmes. If you like it, check out the rest of the series, it'll give you a nice quick overview of many heavyweight greats.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Aev0x7UCJk[/ame]

 

Yeah, the fight is on youtube. Holmes dominated with his jab, although Butterbean did knock him down once late in the fight. Holmes has a great chin though and got up easily.

 

he was stopped by duane bobick when he was an amateur

 

That was a bad call, Butterbean missed and Larry slipped.

 

This is my post in the "Worst Greatest Ever" thread:

"In what is meant as a compliment, I nominate Larry Holmes as the worst possible fighter I can name greatest heavyweight ever.

48-0; 20 title defenses (the second highest number ever in the division); a record 8 straight knockout victories in title fights.

At his best, he looks sheerly impressive. Tall, well-stanced, with a manly aura of being all business, he had excellent movement in the ring, from the first bell deploying a punishing offense led by an extraordinarily sharp, strong, fast, versatile, busy jab. He could defeat mounds and heaps of mediocre opponents practically with this weapon alone. But it wasn't, by any chance, his only one.

His right hand was a fearsome battering ram, in the form of a cross, hook and uppercut, thrown in succession or combination. Holmes was a very good finisher. Once his opponent was hurt, the measured boxer would suddenly turn mean-streak assassin and mercilessly pummel his victim to defeat.

His defense was excellent. Though particularly susceptible to knockdowns from right hands, Holmes instintively raised two long, tough arms whenever in punching range, which served as a formidable shield for body and head. Blocking, parrying, clinching, movement -laterally to both sides or on the toes-, were all mastered defense-tool-kit components which served him so well he once scored a virtual shutout over 12 of fabled powerpuncher Earnie Shavers, without as much as a scratch.

His endurance was a plus. He could jab a man silly for seven straight rounds, thus placing victory safely in the bag from the start, yet roar back if necessary in the 15th and final round with an incessant stream of withering lefts and rights, down to the final bell.

And that heart! If you wanted to beat Larry Holmes, you practically had to be willing to die in the ring. Powerful men such as Mike Weaver, Earnie Shavers, Gerry Cooney, Ken Norton, Renaldo Snipes, Bonecrusher Smith, Trevor Berbick and Tim Witherspoon were determined to wrest victory from Holmes but had the tables turned on them and finally all met bitter defeat at the hands of a proud, regal, ring warrior.

At 6'3", 209 pounds, the Easton Assassin had the dimensions to successfully compete with any man of any era. To watch this savvy smooth operator in his glorious prime is to see the heavyweight championship of the world in good hands."

And now I will quote a phrase I remember reading on this very forum when I was still a lurker. Watch and study Holmes in his prime: "you will be impressed."

 

Yeah, unfortunately for Page.

 

I think he was (and still is) a a bit of a *****.

Jealous of the accomplishments of others.

Sullen, conceited, and with a huge chip on his shoulder.




However, He was an ATG HW with a solid chin, a great jab and a lot of heart.


I rank him 5 or 6 alltime.

 

Probably had the best HW jab ever. Better than Lewis, Listons, Alis, Wladimirs and Foremans jabs.
He was also one of the most durable HWs - he beat a prime Mercer at age 42, then gave a prime Holyfield all he could handle and had a very close fight with Oli McCall when he was 45 years old. That fight with McCall could probably have gone either way, though I had McCall up by a round if I remember correctly. If Holmes had just had a little bit more stamina I think he'd beaten McCall and arguably also Holyfield, because he was the better boxer. In a way this is even more impressive than Foreman winning the WBA belt at age 45, cause Foreman got outboxed by Moorer and KOed him late, and I don't think Foreman could've KOed Holyfield or McCall. Holmes outboxed both McCall and Holyfield when he wanted to, but unfortunatly he couldn't keep up a high work rate throughout the 12 rds because of his age, and so McCall and Holyfield got their decisions based on activity.

 

Definitely a top five heavyweight. Started out in the early 70's fighting in small venues for little pay as he was not an Olympic champion and had no marketable resume. Still had to work a full time job while embarking on a boxing career Larry thought he would use only to help make ends meet. Making great strides as Muhammad Ali's sparring partner, Holmes skill and confidence grew.

The mid 70's signaled the end of the era of Muhammad Ali. Many potential heavyweights toiled away looking to become successor to The Greatest, with all the media attention and money that position guaranteed. Amongst them Larry Holmes whose skill was beginning to catch the eye of boxing journalists. Other notable contenders were more established with boxing audiences than Larry but Holmes boxing ability was truly impressive.

After the official retirement of Muhammad Ali, the boxing world searched for his replacement. A huge void to fill and for the most part boxing fans simply hoped that at least it would be a likeable, witty and talented boxer to pick up where Ali left off. Larry, while immensely talented, didn't impress sports broadcasters such as Howard Cosell with his post fight interviews. While joyful of the success he was having Holmes was a bit reluctant in front of the mic not only because of having to measure up to his predecessor but because of his lack of formal education (dropped out in 7th grade to help his mother feed the family). Holmes tried to be himself and when he was panned in interviews he tried to be Ali. Nothing seemed to work. The press would write sterling articles on fellow boxers like Ken Norton (who was also acting in movies and television) and characters like wrecking ball Earnie Shavers. Holmes expected to be garnering more of the attention of the boxing world given his skill set was nearly as dazzling as Ali's and he was undeafeted, yet it seemed that skill wasn't nearly as important as the persona behind the ability. The media turned it's attention to a flashy, likeable and talkative youngster representing the US in the Olympics named Ray Leonard. Holmes was seen as a talented copycat of Muhammad Ali. How dare he attempt to duplicate what our beloved Muhammad has already done!

As Larry fought on and won the title, many boxing fans were hoping for a replacement for him. Even his promoter Don King wasn't impressed with his clients ability to be the media darling thus making more money for promoting his fights. Shortly into his reign as heavyweight champion the worst scenario of his career happened. Holmes was forced to defend his title against the comebacking Muhammad Ali. Ali was nowhere near Holmes now in skill and Holmes tried to avoid this fight. After all, Ali had been maybe his biggest help in becoming the fighter he was. Ali, ever the media hero convinced everyone in the world including his seasoned trainer Angelo Dundee that he would whip his one time sparring partner Larry Holmes. The fight was set and Larry beat Ali. Ali wouldn't quit despite losing just about every round. The referee had to give Ali a chance because many times in the former champs late career he would bide his time and win the last rounds impressively. This wasn't happening and despite Holmes begging the ref to stop the fight it continued on until Ali's own corner called an end to the one sided affair. Doing his job to the best of his ability in this case was seen by many as dispicable. Larry was now despised by many fans for the beating of Ali. With the emerging Leonard becoming the new hero for boxing fans Holmes could do nothing right it seemed.

A bitterness and resentment began to come across in interviews. The media, in order to gain attention to upcoming Holmes fights began to paint him as the villain. A bitter, resentful and angry man. Was there any challenger that could relieve the boxing world of such a champion? That is what many were hoping for. Fight after fight it was Holmes who was the one many wanted to lose unlike Ali for whom the entire stadium would erupt in chants of ALI, ALI, ALI!

In 1982 Holmes would face possibly his most formidable opponent. A huge man standing six feet six and one half inches with a devastating left hook that had laid waste to nearly all his opponents and several of the biggest names in boxing. This opponent (Gerry Cooney) also happened to be white. Gerry Cooney was the new sensation in heavyweight boxing. He was featured on the Time magazine cover with beloved fictional champion Rocky Balboa. Holmes' own promoter began to label Cooney The Great White Hope. The fight took on racial overtones which neither fighter agreed with but which produced some nasty moments that required snipers to be used to cover the Caesars Palace parking lot where the fight took place. Additionally a telephone hookup from the President of the United States was connected to the Cooney dressing room for and interview following the fight. No such connection was made for Holmes.

Larry Holmes put on another display of exceptional boxing skill that night. Though inexplicably behind on points Holmes stopped a valiant Cooney in the thirteenth round. With the defeat of the gentleman giant Gerry Cooney, the resentment for Larry Holmes once again set in as it did when he beat Muhammad Ali. For a champion so talented, a blue collar family man who was never reported in the news for drinking and driving, street fights, domestic abuse and such, he was probably one of the most disrespteced and unliked champion ever. And for what? That is what Holmes has always wondered. He was just a man doing his job to the best of his ability, trying to support his family and set aside something for the future.

As far as a boxing assessment goes, Holmes was valiant, disciplined and possessed a skill set reminiscent of Muhammad Ali. Holmes could fight in retreat or going forward. He had perhaps the greatest jab of any heavyweight in history. A lightening fast right cross put down many opponents and he could reach you with a sweeping left hook and devastating uppercuts. Holmes unlike Ali would also work the opponents body hard when he saw the opportunity. Impossible to intimidate, Holmes possessed remarkable recuperative ability and there was no quit in him when he was hurt. He ruled the heavyweight division for seven years with 20 title defenses, both milestones are second only to the great Joe Louis. Holmes fought into his fifties with his last fight being a one sided match against Eric Butterbean" Esch. While in his forties Holmes challenge twice for the title both resulting in points losses, one to Evander Holyfield and a one point loss at age 45 to Oliver McCall.

I have had the good fortune to meet and hang out with Larry on several occasions. He is nothing like the bitter man that many have said comes to mind when his name is mentioned. He does believe that he was disrespected and unfairly treated by the media during his career and when you talk about his boxing career he is hurt. Talk about anything else and he will have you rolling on the floor. The guy is funny and really a thoughtful human being who loves his wife and kids and is gracious to other boxers and fans. Truly one of the nicest and most interesting professionals that I have ever met.

 

Larry Holmes had THE best jab in the history of boxing... Fast, sharp and heavy. he contolled the fight with his sterling jab. In his prime, noone walked through it...And he could use it effectively downstairs as well....