Larry Holmes Greatest Win

Ali is really getting sold short with this. Ali was always past prime when he fought Norton ALL 3 times.

And as far as never decisively beating him, I'd argue Ali beat him decisively the 2nd time to be honest.

And you could also argue Norton wasn't at his best when he fought Holmes, anyways

 

marcianos jock strap

 

His top performances were :

Shavers 1
Ocassio ( crushing the man who had just defeated Jimmy Young back to back)
L. Spinks
T. Berbick
Cooney
Mercer

 

I would say Mercer

Most of his top wins in his prime, are good but not great.

Shavers and Norton were slightly under the top teir in the 70s, when they were younger.

Cooney was largely a media creation.

Witherspoon was green.

His win over Mercer, is the only fight where he did something truly outstanding!

 

Of course Norton atsch

 

I know I'm in the minority here, but I'd say that his win over Leon Spinks was his clearest, most dominant performance. Spinks had looked strong and dangerous in wearing down Bernardo Mercado and stopping him in nine rounds and most of us at the time thought that tenacity and pressure would be the best tactic against Holmes. Instead, Holmes parried, pasted, and pounded Spinks like he was a rank amateur. I hated Holmes back then (before I understood business and boxing and how professional Larry was and is) and really believed objectively that Spinks would be on Holmes chest battering away round after round. How wrong I was.

 

It is true the Mercer fight was an outstanding achievement because of Holmes age but Mercer being beaten by Jesse Ferguson takes from that but his (Mercers) fights against Holyfield and Lewis add to the fact of it being one of Larry's best wins. I agree with all of your above statements

 

I'm with you on that Bummy - I don't see a great deal to shout about in Larry's prime - the Mercer one impressed me most - it made me respect Larry a lot more - think I used to be a bit hard on him tbo - I really did want to like Holmes and the Mercer fight made me like him.

 

The win over Ray Mercer is only impressive in light of the fact of Holmes's age.
It's not actually Holmes' greatest win.

Holmes had far better performances in his prime, and beat better opponents too.

His win over Leon Spinks is probably his best performance.
Norton probably his greatest win, all things considered.

 

This; if I were more eloquent, I would have come up with something similar.

 

What makes the Mercer win impressive, besides Holme's advanced age, was the fact that Holmes toyed with an undefeated Mercer and Mercer later went on to beat the hell out of Lennox Lewis.

 

:deal

 

I guess that means something if you rate Lennox Lewis highly.

 

Lol. Nice.
:hi:

 

I was at MSG for the Ali-Shavers fight 9/27/77 and there was no way that fight should have been a draw, Earnie rocked a rope-a dope -leg-wiggling-jesting-Ali but Ali won the fight clearly and there was no doubt he won it 10-5 or 9-5-1

Weaver was a 19-8 fighter who lost by Ko to Duane Bobick and also beaten by his brother Rodney, he did hurt and almost upset Holmes but nobody thought he had a rats chance prior to this.

Witherspoon and Williams were 15 fight fighters and totally untested youngsters and Holmes was lucky to get the win...these guys were green like a lot of Larrys opponents 10 fight Marvis, 10-2-2 Leon who was KO'd in 1 rd by Coetzee a year before, 13 fight Ossie Ocasio who beat a big-titied out of shape Jimmy Young in a farce of a fight. or 14-01 Dave Bey....a lot of weak fighters in a real weak era