Larry Holmes as #1 Heavyweight of All-Time???

Exactly the way I have it on mine, for now.
Haye beats Ruiz convincingly...might change.

 

Thats a joke right? :think

 

:huh


I have Holmes in my Tier3 together with Lewis, which is 4 or 5 on a list.

edit: somehow I wrote Louis instead of Lewis first.

 

:good Yey me too thats how mine starts

 

Depends on the criteria.

Based on resume I would have to say no.

Not unless you think that the 80s was some super era where the top contenders were better than the champions from other eras.

Basede on head to head it is up to you.

Personaly I think that Holmses style cuts both ways. He had the tools to give anybody problems but I don't think he would have had an easy time with anybody in your top 20 all time heavyweight list.

I sincerely doubt that he is the most effective heavyweight of all time head to head even though it might look theoreticaly plausible on paper.

 

Only 2nd to Louis in title defenses and Louis didnt exactly defend against great opposition either . Actually Holmes has a better resume than most great heavys and some of those 80s heavyweights might not have been atgs but lot of them were still pretty good.

 

Well, Louis at least beat some atgs and borderline atgs in Schmeling, Sharkey, Baer, Conn, Lewis, Walcott, Bivins and with Schmeling, Sharkey, Carnera, Baer, Braddock and Walcott also 6 lineal champs. Holmes defeated a done Ali, never-hasbeen Leon Spinks as former champs and perhaps an old Norton as a fighter of note/borderline great. That's hardly comparable.

 

he's in my top 5

 

You are avoiding the real truth here

Schmeling Very good but not an atg
Sharkey very good not great cruiserweight
Carnera Come onatsch Cooney would dust him fast
Baer Great Puncher not that good of a boxer
Conn Great fighter and top 5 LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT
Braddock Good fighter nothing special
Walcott Very good win for Louis lucky to get decision first time

Norton Fought very good in this fight and IMO probably top 20
Shavers 2x Greatest puncher ever and Holmes almost shut him out in both fights despite getting a scare.
Weaver Good puncher good fighter.
Berbick if you brought up Carnera ill bring up Berbick who was awkward and good
Cooney Very good win against ferocious puncher and Very Capable Big
man
Witherspoon Good win against talented and hungry future champ
Mercer good win over much younger top contender when Holmes was an old man.

Louis 25 title defenses
Holmes 20 title defenses and undeafeated in his prime


Im not saying Holmes resume was any better than Louis's but im just pointing out that its close or similar. And I even skipped the controversial loss to Spinks II. Or wins against Bonecrusher,Snipes, and others. Since i know that Louis beat some other good top contenders also. That you didnt mention.

 

Norton, Shavers, Weaver, Berbick, Cooney, Witherspoon and Mercer never were champs. Beltholders but no champs. Schmeling, Sharkey, Carnera, Baer, Braddock, Walcott on the other hand were all champs. Beating them does more for your resume than beating the former.
Schmeling is in my Top13 at hw and an atg btw. I admit I'm biased because he is my idol but I'm ready to defend hat claim against all comers :hey And I doubt there are many who know more about that guy and his career than me.

The only guys I menioned are atgs, borderline atgs or lineal champs. Because beating these does most for your resume. And there is a huge gap between Louis and Holmes. Don't get me wrong I rate Holmes highly, Top4-5, but there is class-gap between Louis/Ali and him.

 

i have him at no 3. and like someone said before h2h he also has a very very good chance against everybody. holmes was one off the most intelligent HW there was. a perfect jab. smart fighter.

 

I think Holmes could beat every hw including Ali, Louis and Marciano. On the other hand I wouldn't make him a big favourite over any great hw. He could lose to a lot of them also.

 

...I forgot this is ESB and the thickest sarcasm can be completely believable.

 

i couldn't see holmes beating ali.he'd beat louis maybe and be too good for marciano

 

It's spelled L-O-U-I-S :yep