Greater fighter? Thomas Hearns or Larry Holmes?

tommy hearns for me. Was this guy ever in a dull fight? All I remember Holmes doing was complaining how he was not recognized and then fighting bums.

 

It would be intruiging to see how Marciano was perceived had he fought to 36.

 

Maybe Panama Al Brown should of been a light heavy as well then.

 

So, respectability makes the greater fighter?

 

It's not that Holmes was an illiterate disrespectful ******* who fought no body and got his ass handed to him by Tyson- the first real test he ever took

It's that in his own mind he thinks he's great, when he was very average but had a good jab for a big guy

He fought no body

He wasn' t so far past his prime when Tyson destroyed his glass chin

 

No, he's 5'9" 72", that's middleweight territory. He could have thrown twenty pounds on and been right at the welterweight limit though. Look how emaciated he is in every photo. Seriously, are you here for a fight or did you just get out of Dachau?

Middleweight Measurements
Gennady Golovkin 5'10.5" 70"
Sergio Martinez 5'10"/73"
Bernard Hopkins 6'1"/75"
Marvin Hagler 5'9.5"/75"
Nino Benvenuti 5'11"/75"
Emile Griffith 5'7.5"/72"
Dick Tiger 5'8"/71"
Joey Giardello 5'10"
Dick Tiger 5'8"/71"
Paul Pender 5'10"/72"
Terry Downes 5'9"/69"
Paul Pender 5'10"/72"
Ray Robinson 5'11"/72"
Carmen Basilio 5'6.5"
Ray Robinson 5'11"/72"
Gene Fullmer 5'8"/69"
Ray Robinson 5'11"/72"
Bobo Olson 5'10.5"/70"
Ray Robinson 5'11"/72"
Randy Turpin 5'9.5"/74.5"
Ray Robinson 5'11"/72"
Jake Lamotta 5'8"/67"
Marcel Cerdan 5'8"
Tony Zale 5'7.5"/69"
Rocky Graziano 5'7"/68.5"
Tony Zale 5'7.5"/69"
Billy Soose 6'.5"/73"
Ken Overlin 5'9"/70"
Ceferino Garcia 5'6"/70"
Al Hostak 6'
Solly Krieger 5'8"/68"
Fred Apostoli 5'9.5"/70"
Freddie Steele 5'10"/72"
Eddie Babe Risko 5'10"/72.5"
Teddy Yarosz 5'10"/72.5"
Vince Dundee 5'8"/71"
Lou Brouillard 5'7"/72"
Marcel Thil 5'8"/68.5"
Gorilla Jones 5'9"/75"
Mickey Walker 5'7"/67"
Tiger Flowers 5'10"/76"
Harry Greb 5'8"/71"
Johnny Wilson 5'9"/72"
Mike O'Dowd 5'8"/70"
Al McCoy 5'8"
George Chip 5'8"
Frank Klaus 5'7.5"
Stanley Ketchel 5'9"

 

Mike tyson was middleweight territory too?

 

Holmes had that longevity that Hears did not true, but then again Holmes never had a major rival to deal with either. Having Leonard at 147 would be like Holmes having a prime Ali around at the same time.
Suddenly it's not quite so rosy, I don't think.

I think it's close between them. Holmes was a great champ who managed some pretty impressive results post-prime.
Hearns never stayed too long in any one division, but given his frame, he never was going to. He definitely fought the hotter competition, p4p.

I'm leaning towards Hearns.

 

I lean towards Larry. Only KO'd once and by one of the best. Still competitive well into his 40's. Not as vulnerable as Hearns. I still think Larry's lengthy title reign was a lot of bull****, but I still see him as more complete than Hearns.

 

Mike Tyson was a legit heavyweight, but he carried his weight really weird. The only guy I can think of that looks like him is Otis Thomas the 1930s heavyweight. He's a legit outlier and there are a few of those.

But I don't give guys like Hearns and Paul Williams a lot of credit for fighting at welterweight. They were essentially just passing through, either because they were young, or they just weren't eating right. Similar things happened with Ray Leonard and Ray Robinson. I think both of them belonged at about middleweight, which is where they fought a lot of their career. Anyway, I just find guys victories more impressive when they don't have massive physical advantages over their competition.

Roberto Duran 5'7" 66" fighting Iran Barkley 6'1" 74" that's impressive.

Mickey Walker 5'7" 67" fighting 6'3 Arthur De Kuh that's impressive.

James Toney 5'10" 72" fighting John Ruiz 6'2.5" 78" that's impressive.

Tommy Hearns 6'1" 78" fighting Pipino Cuevas 5'8" 70" not impressive.

 

I dont remember nine defenses

the first three were Baez, Primera, Shields, all either suspect or weak

above that there was Duran, Hutchins, Minchillo

at 160 there was Barkley which was unsuccessful

above that there was Barkley again, also unsuccessful

that adds up to only 6 successful defenses

who else was there?

 

title fights Hearns
won WBA welterweight from Cuevas, defends Primera, Shields, Baez, loses to Leonard

won WBC light middleweight from Benitez, defends Minchillo, Duran, Hutchings, Medal,

won WBC light heavyweight from Andries,

Won vacant WBC middleweight from Roldan, lost Barkley

won WBO super middleweight from Kinchen, defends Leonard, Olajide,

won WBA light heavyweight Virgil Hill, lost Barkley

Yeah, that's nine defenses of a title.