Just like a lot of you I consider Holmes a top ten AT heavyweight, but I want to hear some opinions about some of his opponents during his 7 year run as the champ. Quite a few of his opponents either disappeared or did hardly anything significant after they were defeated by Holmes during his title reign. This includes fighters like Alfredo Evangelista, Lorenzo Zanon, Leroy Jones, Scott LeDoux, Gerry Cooney, Lucien Rodriguez, Scott Frank and David Bey. Do you think it was because they weren't really that good, Holmes just simply destroyed them, or it was just a weak division at the time? :think
Prime Tim Witherspoon is a very good aoopenent. Shaver, Weaver, Smith, and Norton are also notable. Cooney has become a joke, but in the context of the times, he was a hell of afighter. Holmes' competion was just fine. No worse that Joe Louis' or Dempsey's. Hell, Dempsey's was by far the worst.
Amen, if Holmes was in his prime today, he is undefeated and undisputed. His competition was much better than it is today. Was it Ali's era.....HEEEEEEELLLLLLL NO! But it wasnt weak either.
lol i've just returned from netherlands!!!! i think cooney was a tall, big hitter and wlad hasn't fought anyone of that build or style. wlad won his last fight relying on distance and protecting his chin - however cooney had a great jab and a great right.
atsch his competition was crap ! COONEY was a novice who had only fought a couple of minutes in the 2 years before he fought LARRY and also fought LARRY with an injured left shoulder ! SPOON only had about 12 pro fights so anyone claiming this was a prime SPOON is ******ed ! and you can go on and on ! LARRY is grossly overrated latly and in fact struggled with even the mediocur competion he fought !:deal
atsch COONEY wasnt close to VLAD talent wise and LARRY fought a very inactive and inexperienced version of him ! VLAD would have anniliated COONEY !
