Mercer was very much at the top of the class of 88 at the time; this was a big upset. Mercer looked a legitmate threat for Holyfield. It was a rather good win for a fighter arguably 14 years past his best.
Yes, especially when you see what Mercer did to Morrison the fight before, and how tough of a fight he would give Lewis a few years later. Also, you can't forget that Holmes was about 42 at the time.
This is one of Holmes best wins. Mercer was unbeaten and coming off a brutal KO. But, Mercer clearly overlooked Holmes here. He didn't show up ready to do battle and in great shape like against Evander and Lewis. He thought he was just in with an old man, and Mercer was a very inconsistent fighter anyway, he lost to Jesse Ferguson a year later.
Well, it was a very good win. But I think it showed 2 things the most. A) Larry was a true threat and could still put the top fighters through hell and B) It exposed Mercer's weaknesses
lmao bill you got one funny picture i think the fight showed holmes was still in the game as he went to a 1 point fight with mccall just a year or two later
Maybe right behind his win over Norton. Mercer was a more dangerous opponent than Shavers and Cooney and probably the still green Witherspoon. Mercer was a tough guy, inconsistent but dangerous. Holmes beating him while being 41 or so is a big win for him.
it is a text book example, maybe the best example, of the styles make fights argument. Even a good Mercer is made to eat the jab of Larry.
A hell of a win for Larry. To beat a prime Mercer at 42 yrs of age gives credence to Holmes' ATG status. When you think about it, Ali was shot at 36 yrs old and was lucky to fight a Leon Spinks in order to win the title back at that age while Larry was taking on a very dangerous potent punching durable Ray Mercer at age 42...and winning! Just food for thought.
Larry was a lot more technically skilled than Ali. Once Ali faded from his prime, he relied on his chin and his intelligence. Larry had both of those attributes, plus the technical skills to still be able to hang with the best if he prepared right in his 40's. It was an excellent win, and as previously said, it further helped prove his ATG status.
It was definitely a good win for Holmes. It was a surprising upset, and Holmes legitimately earned his shot against Holyfield by way of the win. But, it has to also be stated that Mercer was not necessarily part of the elite heavyweights at the time. Riddick Bowe, Razor Ruddock, Lennox Lewis, and Mike Tyson were at the top in terms of skill. Out of all the young, up-and-coming fighters at the time, Ray Mercer was perhaps the least skilled. Larry Holmes definitely chose to fight the "right" contender. He didn't select Bowe or Ruddock or even Lewis to fight; he chose Mercer, the guy who fought life and death against Bert Cooper, the guy who was being outboxed by Francesco Damiani before he caught Damiani and broke his nose, and the guy who was getting whipped by Tommy Morrison before Morrison ran out of gas and Mercer clobbered him. Definitely a good win for Holmes, but not the huge, mega-upset that many people make it out to be.
