Holmes in Zaire?

Peak Larry?

Absolutely.

1974 Larry Holmes?
No. Foreman wins.

From 1977-onwards Larry Holmes would have beaten George Foreman if the fight was ever made.

 

correct me if i'm wrong but wasn't holmes putting the beat down on ali in the sparring leading up to the fight?

i think holmes and foreman would have been a classic. pick 'em fight imo.

 

if that fight was at madison square garden with a propa ring foreman would have won anyway

 

Ali wasn't trying to beat up Holmes in sparring. Both Foreman and Ali
of Zaire would have beat any version of Holmes.

 

We're talking about a prime Holmes,I take it,and not the neophyte of 1974 ? The best ever Holmes would have been capable of wearing down,and stopping George in the latter stages. Not that I can ever count George out. If he tagged Larry with a huge right hand,like Shavers did,he could easily follow it up UNLIKE Shavers,and stop Holmes.

 

No way !!!! In Madison Square,Ali would have won as well. He'd probably have done it more with movement than the rope-a-dope.

 

Holmes came of age when he beat Shavers in 1977 (perhaps his career best perfomance, actually). That's when he really took the step up. Three years earlier he was just a green pro and was nowhere ready for Foreman. If he had been in Young's place in Puerto Rico, though, I think he'd be the one to send George into retirement.

 

Holmes always beats Foreman, all wrong for Big George and George knew it

 

I agree with your point,in the main. But what about Larry's propensity for catching big right hands ? That's my only reservation about a Holmes victory.

 

if frazier can batter ali at the garden foreman would have knocked him out seeing as he couldnt hide on the ropes.

 

Yeah,Holmes scored a shutout against Shavers in that fight. This was indeed a feather in his cap,as it was his first bigtime bout.

 

In 1974,Ali had Foreman's number,pure and simple. The common opponent syndrome of Ali-Frazier-Foreman does n't have any relevance. All a question of styles and mentality. Foreman would batter Frazier any day of the week. An Ali-Frazier fight would be a hotly contested war any day of the week,while Ali would always be an enigma for Foreman.

 

My feelings exactly.And Larry probably wouldn't be getting up.

 

All 2 times he got tagged extraoridinarily hard by right hands in 75 fights. Larry's tendency to get hit by right hands is starting become over exagerated on this site. The man got caught being careless as he was easily dominating the fights. Had Holmes never fought Oliver McCall, James "Bonecrusher" Smith, Tim Witherspoon, etc I'd bet money that multiple people would predict them to seriously drop and hurt Holmes with the right hand.