Jack Johnson vs Larry Holmes

Maaan. I find it hard to pick Johnson over any elite modern heavy.

Johnson liked to hit and tie up and maul people rotten until they were ground down. The man had great strength and stamina. But to carry out a plan like that you have to land first. Right away I see problem #1 in Holmes' wonderful snapping jab and problem #2 in that Holmes was substantially larger than JJ. Let's put it like this: he had a 5 inch reach advantage. That's not good against a technician like Holmes.

Holmes had a vulnerability to big right hands but JJ wasn't a banger, he was a grinder. I'd have to say that over any reasonable distance like 15 rounds, you'd have to favour Holmes heavily.

 

Holmes might not lose more than one round, and should be able to score a mid to late round TKO.

Holmes doesn't always get credit for it, but he was a very smart fighter, and one with great stamina. You really don't see him resting on the ropes, or falling into traps. If Johnson managed to force a clinch, Larry's got a great uppercut too. If Johnson tried to be dirty as he can, Holmes if he needed to could retaliate.

 

Many here confidently pick Marciano to overcome much greater physical handicaps and prevail.

Is it only Rocky that has this ability to defy the laws of physics?

 

Against which fighters?

 

When you can punch very hard, are tough, throw lots of punches, and take a good punch as well, you can over come lots of things in the ring, Which one of these traits did Johnson posses? Maybe one or zero. Marciano had them all.

Simply stated Johnson was not a puncher. He didn't throw many punches. I think he had average punch resistance when hit, and quit in multiple fights and was booed for not doing much in a few. So his chances of overcoming physical handicaps are not as great.

 

Johnson gets jabbed to death and gets stopped by either the rt hand or his own famous punch the rt uppercut. I can't see Johnson doing anything effective here. Pretty much a carbon copy of my post in the Johnson Lewis thread without repeating the details.

 

Liston,Foreman, Lewis, Tyson etc.

 

Johnson went 15 years without being stopped does that indicate he wasn't durable?
He was 37 years old and fat when the giant Willard finally repeated the trick, he had been in the ring for over a hundred minutes and fighting for over 70 of them.
Johnson retired in two fights he was 48 when he lost to Bob Lawson in7 rds and 2 weeks off his 50th birth day when he retired against Bill Hartwell.
I wonder how many times I have had to correct you on this,it must be going on for a dozen now!

 

Foreman no.
Lewis no - unless he was an one of his suck nights. I've argued before that Marciano might beat the version that fought billups
Tyson no
Liston I think he might beat depending on how Liston approached him.

I would never write a guy like Rocky off but he'd be working uphill against 3 of those four.

 

We are going off piste here ,I was making an observation not a sub thread.

 

Larry Holmes

 

I can't see Johnson making it to round 3

 

Jack Johnson wins

 

Holmes jabs him to death and stops him late.