How do you Larry Holmes career would like if he was born 10 years earlier? His first career fight was in 1973 and he won the heavyweight title in 1978. If he came up in 1963 and was ready in 1968 right after Muhammad Ali was exiled, how do you think Larry Holmes career would project?
Considering he benefited so greatly as a sparring partner for Ali and Frazier, and purposefully waited until the smoke was clear before really campaigning for the belt... Holmes himself would tell you, not well. He might've been a Buster Mathis type. Now, send OUR Larry back in time, and I think he does very, very well - win or lose. Maybe the question we should all be asking, though, is how would he have done against Jimmy Young? Such a short drive from Easton to Philly, and that fight never happened.... hmmmmmmm
I think He would have whupped them all in 1968, and that includes the likes of Jimmy ellis, jerry quarry, bob foster, mac foster, floyd patterson and if he gives the aging Liston a title shot, i would favor the easton assassin to beat him as well. But then, he meets a peak frazier and lose by decision.
He would have stopped all those guys except Frazier, and I agree about Frazier decisioning him. 60s Ali would have squeaked by with a majority decision, one that wouldn't be wildly popular but not a robbery by any means.
This sounds about right. Meeting peak Frazier is a tough one. Imo tho, if anyone could possibly beat him it's Holmes.
I agree. In a serie of fights, i think Holmes would probably do as well as Ali. He could probably beat frazier in a rematch and possibly goes on to fight a past it Ali and peak Foreman. He probably beat them both if he was still at his best. There are just too many possibilities. But i know for one that he beat everybody in the late 1960's after Ali's first retirement and before the rise of smokin' joe.
Nonsense. Anyone that knows Holmes character would know that he would tell you no such thing. This guy is convinced he would have handled any heavyweight in history and he has never been shy in telling anyone that would listened that. Yeah he was Ali's sparring partner but according to Holmes, by the time of Ali's fight against Foreman in 74, he thought he was already getting the better of Ali in sparring which is why Ali allegedly got rid of him. Self confidence is something Holmes has never lacked.
Can't beat Ali but would benefit from Ali's exile. Could beat all the WBA tourney guys but may not get by prime Frazier.
As previously mentioned by someone else, it would depend greatly on weather or not he’d have the benefit of learning through sparring with Muhammad Ali or having a trainer like Eddie Futch. It’s doubtful given that Futch was tied up with Frazier and Norton. But if we assume that an earlier arrival of Holmes was just as good as in his actual timeline then I think he does quite well in that era. I doubt he becomes a long reigning champion but he would certainly establish a strong presence and be one of the better players
I didn't say he'd brodcast it on the 6 o'clock news, I said that he would tell you that in personal conversation. Ali came up to Deer Park. Larry went to meet him. Larry got licked. he got licked by frazier, too. he was stopped by bobick in the ammies. His coming out party was against an aged Earnie Shavers. Please, "actions speak louder than words". The dude waited in the shadows until the timing was right. And then when he was undisputed world champion he shirked the mainstream and pursued a minor title to fight who he wanted to fight. He was more technical than Ali, and harder puncher. But he didn't have Ali's athleticism or size. Again, win or lose, I think he does very well. I just cannot see the undersized Quarry beating him. I think Ali's size and athleticism appeal more to the judges than Holmes' technical approach. I think Foreman finds him an easier task than Young or Ali, but clearly a much taller task that Foreman. And we really do know how Foreman handles anything in between. A lot of what Frazier found favorable in Ali is not there in Holmes, but a fast starter and nasty uppercut are. Still, he cannot manhandle Joe like Ali did. I think I am being very charitable to Holmes. All I did was remind you all of his own career path.
