Greater fighter? Thomas Hearns or Larry Holmes?

Sweet pea was good and beat atgs in their primes

Holmes beat up Ali when he had Parkinson's

Absolute bum who got what he deserved (exposed) vs Tyson

Glass chin had everything else

 

p4p I gotta go with Hearns. He won titles in numerous divisions and beat p4p better fighters than the ones Holmes beat in Duran, Benitez, Cuevas and Hill. The only equalizer I see here is that Hearns was beaten twice by Iran Barkley but that was past his prime and probably no worse than Holmes' past prime losses to McCall and Neilson. Hearns rates much higher than Holmes.

 

Hearns should be better pound for pound, but I consider him a weight cheat, who should have been fighting at light heavyweight his whole career. Seriously, just eat a sandwich and fight in the weight class you belong in instead of fighting guys you have a foot of reach over. Larry Holmes was at least roughly the same size as his opponents.

I say Alexis Arguello, Bob Foster, and Michael Spinks were fighting lower than they ought to too. And a lot is made of the modern weight climbers, but I think Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez belonged at lightweight, Floyd Mayweather belonged at welterweight, and in the last generation Roy Jones and Bernard Hopkins both belonged at light heavyweight. I only count weight climbing as impressive if you are a tiny guy fighting people taller with more reach than you. Pac and Marquez fighting at welterweight, that's good. Jones fighting Ruiz, that's good. Most of these guys though are applauded for fighting at their proper weight after a long time fighting below it. That ain't what Pernell Whitaker, Mickey Walker, Roberto Duran, and Henry Armstrong did. Those were the real weight climbers, the real pound for pound greats.

 

If I could choose whose career I would rather have it would be Holmes:deal

His signature wins against Norton, and Cooney, were better than Hearns signature win against a semi faded Duran in 84, and throw in his huge upset win over Mercer in 92, remember back then Mercer was hot he had just KO'D Morrison and Holmes took him to school....

Holmes had a longer reign as champ, and was only stopped once by Tyson, Hearns was stopped on several occasions, including being brutally KO'D by Hagler and Barkley....

Im not a big fan of either guy they both have careers to be proud of, but I think Holmes was a better all around fighter, and more longevity, he was certainly more durable, and could take a better punch, and was physically stronger...

 

No comparison. Holmes hands down.

 

Hearns in everyway. Fought better guys had better knockouts. Holmes fought overrated and old guys and ducked others. Hearns was iconic. Holmes was not.

 

Holmes dominated a division for a protracted time.

Can't say the same for Hearns.

 

Thomas Hearns height 6'1" reach 78"


Light heavies in the 80s
Eddie Mustafa Muhammad 6'0" 73"
James Scott 6'1"
Marvin Johnson 5'10.5" 72.5"
Carlos De Leon 6'0"
Matthew Saad Muhammad 5'11" 75"
Dennis Andries 5'10" 72.5"
Bobby Czyz 5'10"
Dwight Qawi 5'5.5" 71" <-- That's impressive. Dude even made it to heavyweight, but he must have taken every drug imaginable.
Virgil Hill 6'.5" 77"
Graciano Rocchigiani 6'1" 74.5"

and just for shits and giggles, how about all the light heavyweight champs:

Adonis Stevenson 5'11"/72"
Chad Dawson 6'1"/76.5"
Bernard Hopkins 6'1"/75"
Jean Pascal 5'10.5"/72"
Adrian Diaconu 5'9"/72"
Chad Dawson 6'1"/76.5"
Tomasz Adamek 6'1.5"/75"
Antonio Tarver 6'2"/75"
Roy Jones Jr. 5'11"/74"
Antonio Tarver 6'2"/75"
Graciano Rocchigiani 6'1"/74.5"
Roy Jones Jr. 5'11"/74"
Fabrice Tiozzo 6'1"/72"
Mike McCallum 5'11.5"/ 74.5"
Jeff Harding 5'11.5"/73"
Dennis Andries 5'10.5"/72.5"
Jeff Harding 5'11.5"/73"
Dennis Andries 5'10.5"/72.5"
Ray Robinson 5'10"/74"
Donny Lalonde 6'2"
Thomas Hearns 6'1"/78"
Dennis Andries 5'10.5"/72.5"
JB Williamson ?
Michael Spinks 6'2.5"/76"
Dwight Qawi 5'5.5"/71"
Matthew Saad Muhammad 5'11"/75"
Marvin Johnson 5'10.5"/72.5"
Mate Parlov 6'2"
Miguel Angel Cuello 5'9"
John Conteh 6'/76"
Bob Foster 6'3"/79"
Dick Tiger 5'8"/71"
Joes Torres 5'10"/74"
Willie Pastrano 5'10"/72"
Harold Johnson 5'10"/74"
Archie Moore 5'11"/75"
Joey Maxim 6'1"/71.5"
Freddie Mills 5'10.5"/72"
Gus Lesnevich 5'9"
Anton Christoforidis 5'8"/72"
Billy Conn 6'1.5"/72.5"
Len Harvey 6'0"/73.5"
Melio Bettina 5'9"/70"
Tiger Jack Fox 5'11.5"/75"
John Henry Lewis 5'11"/75.5"
Bob Olin 5'10"/72"
Maxie Rosenbloom 5'10.5"/71.5"
Bob Godwin 5'11.5"
Joe Knight 5'11.5"
George Nichols 5'10.5"
Maxie Rosenbloom 5'10.5"/71.5"
Jimmy Slattery 5'11.5"/74"
Tommy Loughran 5'11.5"/73"
Jack Delaney 5'11.5"
Paul Berlenbach 5'10"/72"
Mike McTigue 5'9"/72"
Battling Siki 5'10.5"/75"
Georges Carpentier 5'11.5"
Battling Levinsky 5'11"/70"
Jack Dillon 5'7.5"/72"
Bob Moha 5'5"
Philadelphia Jack O'Brien 5'10.5"
Bob Fitzsimmons 5'11.5"/71.5"
George Gardiner 5'11.5"
Jack Root 5'10"/73"

 

that is why he was considered a freak at his weight. You really think Tommy Hearns could have fought at 175 in 1980? And you really think Holmes would be good at lower weights? Hearns was greater . Better competition and more iconic.

 

I wish Holmes would have fought everyone. And losing to Spinks a lightheavyweight hurt his legacy. That 49-0 thing of Marciano was overrated a bit. No one cared about that in retrospect

 

Holmes was 36 when Spinks beat him. At that age Marciano was 4 years into retirement. Holmes was 12 years into his career. At that stage of his career Marciano was 4 years retired.

Fortuitous career planning is wonderful for your legacy.