If Larry Holmes had come along 8 years earlier

beats them all in close fights

 

He peaks in 1970, and beats Ellis easily, and Frazier and Ali in potential classics IMO. He wins a trilogy 2/1 with Foreman in 73/74, before losing out in another trilogy to Norton 2/1 in 77/78.

 

He would have been more embraced as an all american hero.. rather than compared to his teacher.. who was unsurpasable..

His Jab would have drilled holes in Joe Frazier...

A fight with Ali would have been amazing in Alis prime, they would have been just another chapter in the champions forever mix.. Larry was so succesful when the exciting fights were not that great, how great a fighter would he have come across as with amazing talent to showcase against...?

 

I feel he beats Fraizer and Foreman by decision, or Frazier by late TKO, but in 1971 might go 2/1 vs Ali and Norton. Norton had the style to trouble jabbers, and I feel if he's on a game night and Larry isn't, he might be able to edge him out. Larry beats Chuvalo like he beat Cobb, just by maybe a 10-5 or 11-4 margin, and beats Quarry like he did Cooney, again, it is just closer. He beats Ellis with slight ease, and he takes out Shavers again.

I think Larry had been able to take Ali from about late '76 or so under the true story line. Against Ali, Norton, Frazier, and Foreman, I think he would go something like 8-2, beating Frazier and Foreman twice, and losing to Ali once, and Norton once, and beating them 2-1 in a trilogy.

 

would loose too norton...would loose too ali......would loose too frazier..........

 

He claims to have whupped Ali in sparring sessions as early as 1971 or so. However, Ali was known not to go full throttle in sparring. He was more conditioning himself to take punishment. I mean, it was said that Uzbek fighter Kid Diamond roughed up Floyd Maywhether Jr. in a gym session. A real fight would have been quite different needless to say.

Holmes barely beat a pst his prime Norton in 1978. What is he was facing the young lion who broke Ali's jaw in 1973? We'll never know for sure if the outcome would have changed. But we can speculate.

Norton by decision.

George Foreman - Holmes was susceptible to a great straight right hand. He was dropped by Snipes and Shavers. Hurt by Witherspoon a few times.

Foreman by kayo.

Joe Frazier - The pre-superfight Frazier who was not yet ruined by Ali would have a great chance against Holmes. After that I would take Holmes but it would not surprise me in the least if Frazier's pressure makes Holmes fold.

Holmes by a very close decision.

Ali - The Ali of the early to mid-70's still would beat Holmes IMO.

Ali by decision.

Guys like Lyle and Young could also be troubling potentially to Holmes.

This is not an inditement of Holmes' great career. It is just that having your best wins against a past his prime Norton (barely), almost getting kayoed by a 34 year old Shavers in 1979, and beating Gerry Cooney in 1982 does not equal success against ATG's like Ali and a prime Foreman. In closing Holmes came around at the perfect time for him to be able to dominate. Eight years earlier he would have just been another excellent contender IMO.

 

Holmes Beats Foreman
Holmes Beats Frazier
Holmes beats Norton in a trilogy 2-1
Holmes Splits fights with Ali (the series winner depends on when the fights take place) 70-74 Ali wins 2-1 anything after 74 goes to Holmes.

 

Pity he wasn't born 8 years later as he would have destroyed Tyson's short three year reign.

 

Disagree. Depending on how accomplished he was by the time Tyson came on the scene I'm certain Tyson would have trained appropriately for Larry Holmes as its quite possible that at the age of 29-30 Holmes would have been the Champ and Tyson would have been the man to dethrone him. Simple as that.

 

So why didn't Ali's jab drill holes in Frazier? He hit him like a thousand times.


I would pick Frazier to beat Holmes the first time for sure. Holmes might win a rematch against a battleworn or unfocused Joe. Holmes knockes out Foreman if it's a 15 round fight. He'd split a series with Ali. Quarry, Bonavena etc would be big underdogs. Norton is interesting. He gave Holmes a very close fight when he was at the end of his career. That doesn't neccesarily mean he would win prime for prime, though.

 

I actually think a prime Frazier might be the one who gives Holmes the most trouble. Frazier wasn't concerned with anything as mundane (in his thinking) as a jab, so he would be coming after Larry all night. I don't think Holmes could have dealt with the non-stop pressure in the end.

Against Ali ca 1972-1975 I don't see Holmes having any real advantages. Ali is still faster, his jab (according to Norton) is better, he's is stronger and knows how to adapt like no other fighter. He was always susceptible to a good counter jab, though, and here is where Holmes could pose him real trouble.

Considering how close an aging Norton took a prime Holmes it is always hard not to give the edge to Norton in his prime.

I think Holmes would have beaten Foreman, though. Foreman had loads of trouble with skillful boxers that faced him without fear (Ali, Young), so I don't really think Holmes would be much different. He would retreat behind his excellent jab and frustrate and tire Foreman. He would take some hard punches along the way, but he showed against Shavers and Cooney that he could take a punch.