Is Larry Holmes really underrated?

Lot of the youngsters don't remember that he first retired in disgrace, not just for his childish comments after losing to a LHW, but for taking the Frazier fight, ducking Page and Thomas, and a number of other things going back to his performance in the Olympics. The Mercer fight flipped his image around 180 degrees for a new generation, but it doesn't do it for me.

I give Larry credit for being tough when he was actually in the ring, but basically, good fighters had a very hard time getting him in the ring, and against the best of them (Norton, Witherspoon) he often underperformed.

Better to beat up on no-hopers like Ledoux, half-dead legends like Ali, and guys who should not have been heavies like Frazier.

 

How can you call a Heavyweight Champion of the world a coward? A man who made his bones being a sparring partner for Frazier Ali and Shavers. Who got off the canvas from a perfect Shavers rt hand. Who fought one of the best HW fights of all time vs Norton with a heavily damaged left bicep. ect ect.
This kills me ...what gives you the rite to call him a coward?? You have no rite to call any man who steps into the ring and fights for a living a coward.

 

I think he may be under appreciated....but he is rated fairly by most.

I place him on my 3-5 tier
And generally see him from 3-8 and think that is fine and fair...

Outside of the top 10 and I would have to question the criteria

 

Ducking Page and Thomas and bragging about it.

You spelled "right" incorrectly.

I have a right to say as I please. What is more, I am saying the truth.

Larry Holmes helped to **** up the sport that you love by giving the IBF instant credibility, leading to further proliferation of titles. It is the fact that there are dozens of "world champions," along with the screw jobs, that have turned boxing into a fringe sport. That man does not deserve respect.

 

He seems rated high enough.
His was a slightly strange career.
Hardly anyone noticed him until his late twenties then he sprang on the scene as Ali faded away and Foreman retired. Frazier had also faded away. He fought an epic against Norton which put him on the map. By the time he'd established himself as the champ in the publics mind, he'd turned 30 ( which was seen as veteran stage back in those days) . He beat the aged Ali which didn't increase his popularity . His defining fight was against Gerry C in 1982, which probably saw the end of Holmes' best years, guys like Witherspoon Williams, Snipes,Berbick, Norton,Gerry C , Shavers etc is a pretty deep resume . He lost a little gloss by trying to hand pick his way to Marciano's record ( but who could blame him ?) But he and his team then made an incredibly poor choice in selecting Spinks.
Holmes reign came in the shadow of Ali but I think he's fairly judged.Peak Holmes was an ATG and a matchup for anybody.

 

I have him no 5 or 6,but your post is spot on.

 

You are a fruit loop.

 

I dont give a #### what word I misspelled.
Are you a professional fighter? Do you support yourself or your family by fighting?
I didn't think so yet your going to call a man who did a ####### coward!!?? Guys like you make me laugh is all I can say. Calling one of the greatest fighters of all time a coward because he didn't meet your criteria of what a champion should do. GTF out of here. You got some balls. WOW some balls indeed yet u really dont because you never made your living being a professional fighter because if u had you would never have said anything so disrespectful and stupid

 

Damn right.

 

If you duck other fighters and brag about it when you have a responsibility to fight them, you are a coward.

My job is not relevant.

 

Moron

 

Right back at you nutthugger.

 

I'm not the guy hiding behind my keyboard calling professional fighters cowards. That's you Tough guy. I respect every single man that steps into the ring.
Your an idiot...a keyboard badass calling professional fighters cowards while you never had a professional fight in your life.

 

Sub in Holmes for the Jimmy Young who beat Foreman. Assume Holmes wins too. Who's your #1 heavyweight then? You can make a good case for Holmes.

Larry is under rated, but a better term might be under exposed by the media. You won't find many Holmes books or docs. Its all Johnson, Dempsey, Marciano, Louis Ali.

Larry's call it as he sees it personality did not help. Neither did beating Ali and succeeding him.

 

Holmes ducking the best opponents hurts his legacy