Holmes's Title Opposition, as **** as they say???

Larry didn't think Page was a high risk oppenent, just higher than Frazier and Frank. If Larry would get more money than he did for those fights to fight Page, then you would have seen Larry beat the **** out of Page. And again, why is everyone so critical of Larry if they would still say that his reign was ****, even if he fought those people?

 

:|

I can guarantee you 100% that if he fought at least two of the deserving challengers (Thomas, Page, Dokes, Coetzee) instead of jokes like Frazier, Rodriguez et al, as well as not dropping his belt to avoid one AND have a few rematches after his dead-even fights instead of avoiding every single one of them (Norton, Witherspoon and Williams), he would be a lot higher regarded (top3 for sure) and would not be rightfully critized for it.


Did i mention yet that fanboys like you only turn people against Holmes rather than for him?

 

His purse for Page would have been bigger than the one he got for Frank. He agreed to fight Page after Frank and Frazier, then cried off with his phoney "Don King's screwing me" excuse. Funny that he didn't want to leave King after being jobbed out of a few bucks after the Cobb fight.

 

5 star post. I agree with everything on it. The whole time Ive been on ESB Ive said that Larry's a great guy regardless what he said when he was pissed off. Larry just recently got the boy of steel award for donating a lot of money to the fight against cancer. He basicaly pays for all of the saint anthony's youth center, and he loses about $2,000 a month on his gym with the taxes. $15 a month from 30-40 people (with some skipping out) won't pay for $4,000 a month in taxes for it. Larry is just like any other man, and thats what he wants. Don't get me wrong, he likes the attention he gets and all, he just prefers to be known as just another guy. He doesn't spoil his family either. He buys them 1 house that they want, but they have to pay taxes and all. What they do after that is up to them, and Larry won't help unless they really need it. He is one of the few remaining boxers that kept their boxing money and make millions on the side with endorsements, buisnesses, and real estate.

Foreman lost his boxing money (which is why he made his comeback), and he had that huge phoney smile on, and people bought it. I read an interview with Larry, and the reporter asked him that if he ran for mayor of Easton, what party would he be? Larry said that republicans have done a lot for him, and helped make him make a lot of money, but he would run as a democrat to help the average joe. Larry may only have a 7th grade education, but he has more street smarts and common sence than most.

People remember him for his comment about Marciano, and thats just wrong. Sure, he was wrong to say it, but it wasn't uncalled for. Its not like it came out of nowhere. It was all of the anger that was built up inside of him. No one liked him as champion. People treated him like he was a scum bag. Going into the Ali fight everyone said "You don't hold a candle light to Ali" or "Ali will knock you out" then when Larry says different, he's the bad guy. It was a lose-lose situation for him. If he lost to Ali, then he would get "I told you so, you aint nothin" and when he beat Ali (unwillingly) he got "Whats wrong with you? Beating up a poor, old, defenceless Ali like that.".

Then 2 years later of being hated just because he beat Ali, Cooney came along. Someone tried to kill him with a drive through shooting at his resturant. He got death threats, insults, and he had to watch his back everyday. It got to the point where he couldn't even go out anywhere with out 2 body gaurds or a gun. It was just wrong. He goes and beats the **** out of Cooney regardless of all of the racial **** he had to go through. People hated him for beating Cooney.

Then came the Spinks fight. Marciano's family (mainly Peter) flat out told Larry they were praying he would lose and would be happy if he did. Larry was pissed at that. Its just wrong to say that. Larry was 3 years past his prime, and Larry was a ton slower and couldn't keep up the same work rate he could when he was younger. It was a close fight that could have gone either way. They gave it to Spinks. Marciano's family (again, mainly Peter) was egging Larry on along with the press. Larry was already thrown into a whole new dimension of pissed off because he lost his title, then he was even more pissed off that everyone was egging him on and happy. He could have said a lot worse.

He beat the **** out of Spinks in the rematch, and they gave Spinks the decision, and Larry got robbed. So Larry is extremely pissed off again. He new they wouldn't let him have his title back, regardless if he earned it. Then he said what he thought about the judges. Its ashame people think that Larry is a bitter, grumpy, jack ass in person because of what he said when he was mad as hell. He's a great guy who loves to have fun and joke around.

 

Why would Norton deserve a rematch? Getting knocked out by Shavers doesn't get you a rematch, just thought I'd let you know ass hole. He was going to fight Coetzee, but the promoter dropped out, they couldn't agree on location etc. King was going to prevent the titlists from unifying. You didn't see the other Titlists unifying did you? No. How can you consider the Witherspoon fight dead even? Sure it was close, but dead even? No. Same with Williams.

:fy

 

But Larry was in a combo contract for Frazier and Frank. He signed to fight both of them before the Page fight was brought up. He left King because he was tired of being treated like ****, and tired of being cheated out of money. Wouldn't you leave if it was happening to you for 8 years? Larry cursed King out more times then you can imagine. One of the main reasons Larry left King, and refused to deal with him, was because King threatened him. Larry mentioned switching promoters, and King threatened to have his legs broken. Larry carried a pistol around with him just in case. Once King threatened Larry, that was it, he was gone. He promoted his own fights. People like to beleive what the press say, but theres always so much more than that.

 

Nice post Bill,

Sadly, Larry was not viewed as a champion of the people during his title days. Fortunately, however he has greatly redeemed himself in life after boxing. There are few great athletes particularly boxers who give anything significant back to the game or society. Larry is one of the few who truly fit the bill as being a man for the people. As you already stated, the Marciano incident was a mere reflection of their hatred, and not Larry's. Only a select few people truly have the insite to understand this.

 

Exactly.

 

We've gone over this myriads of times but because it didn't reach your brain the first four times, i will repeat it:

A very close fight against Norton for the title DOES earn you a rematch and this was BEFORE Norton got iced in one. Did you hear Holmes say "I aint gonna rematch Norton because he's about to get knocked out in one round, a few months from now, i checked Boxrec" ?

Excuses, excuses excuses. Like i said, wanting Holmes to fight all of them is not realistic (not many champs did), but he could've at least fought a few of those seven big missers on his resume.

 

That fact that he wasn't very charismatic or good with the press surely made life hard for him.

For instance, Ali could fight Evangelista's and go without facing a mandatory for years without being stripped, because he was Ali. Holmes didn't have that priviledge and as a result he was stripped of the only belt around when he refused to fight the mandatory, Page, because Frazier was the bigger fight obviously. It sucks for him that he didn't get that free pass that Ali got, but if he wants to be seen as a champion, why didn't he just face his mandatory and do his job, like a champion is supposed to ?

 

I agree with what you're saying, but the conversation wasn't really about Holmes not facing his mandatories, but rather about his public image effected for reasons other than who he fought or didn't fight.

 

Ok, so you give Ali a free pass, but not Holmes. That makes a lot of sence. Hey everyone, lets give Ali a free pass because he ****ing Muhammad Ali. But not Larry because he gets pissed off and is an honest man! Yeah, lets go make asses of our selves like I am now!

 

I said the governing bodies and most the public gave him a free pass, not me.

 

Then why don't you mention it?

 

It took The Mallard eight years for it to sink in? His seventh grade education really did let him down then. :yep

You just believe what Larry says, how about reading up on other sources, goldfish. :good