Larry Holmes: Have him in your top ten or even top five all time?

Top five for me. Maybe just outside.

 

At heavyweight, there is a case.

Overall, obviously not.

 

At Heavyweight, Holmes is top 5. He won his first 48 fights and made 20 defenses, coming just short of Marciano's record and Louis' record. The losses to Spinks were controversial, and when he was past his best.

None of the guys he beat were great, but they were the top heavyweights of the time. Earnie Shavers (twice), Mike Weaver, Tim Witherspoon, Ken Norton, Trevor Berbick, Carl "The Truth" Williams, "Bonecrusher" Smith, Leon Spinks, Gerry Cooney, Randall "Tex" Cobb, and he did stop Muhammad Ali, though he was way, way past his prime. He also came back when he was like 40 and easily beat Ray Mercer. Head-to-head I'd give Holmes a very good chance to beat any heavyweight in history.

 

Louis
Ali
Marciano
Holmes
Foreman

 

I have him number 3 or 4, changes daily, it seems.

 

On any given day he's top-5, or just outside of it.

 

Makes my top 5 at heavyweight mainly on the basis of his ability (that fantastic jab) and H2H status, and also that he dominated (albeit what was a rather weak era)

 

At Heavyweight he is an lock for top 10. IMO

 

Top 10.

 

I have Larry in my top 5, at number 5. He is barely ahread of Foreman and Lewis right now and he could drop to 7-8 perhaps depending on my mood. His lack of very good oppontants during his title reign drag him down from the top 3. Best wins were Witherspoon (very good win but Tim was young and should have gotten a rematch after what was essentially an even fight) Cooney (an unbeaten fighter with a big punch but was untested and never had a big win) Norton (Arguably Holmes best win against a battle tested Norton who thrived against boxers)

The Shavers wins are decent wins as well but Earnie was as one dimensional as they come but nearly beat Holmes with the gameplan of just hoping that a huge right lands. The Mercer win was decent but Mercer was very inconsistent and for every Lewis fight, he had a Marion Wilson or a Jesse Ferguson. Weaver wasn't highly regarded at the time but went on to win the WBA title. Weaver should of gotten a rematch. Berbick wasn't a bum and went on the win the WBC title that's a solid win.

Throw in Smith, Williams, and Snipes and you have a fairly deep resume, but one that doesn't have a super fighter in it. Holmes fought a LOT of unproven and undeserving fighters (Scott Frank, Evangelista or whatever his name was, Zanon etc.) He should of fought Pinklon Thomas, and then dangerous fighters like Page, Coatzee, Dokes were much better than many of the fighters Larry elected to fight, and this hurts his legacy. He also didn't give rematches to the toughest challengers and that hurts as well.

 

i have him 5 or 6 overall but i think him and lewis are h2h nightmares for any heavyweight in history

 

Top 10 definetly, top 5 not sure would have to have a good think.

"How the hell can you win a fight when you lookin' like a god damn monster, lookin' like Larry Holmes, ugly as hell n ****"

James Toney 2nd September 2006

 

Top 10.

He fought in one of the worse eras of all-time, he avoided a few fighters, fought some horrible competition as champion, avoided a few rematches he should have given, and most damaging...he didn't beat Spinks the second time. Regardless of age, you don't lose to a light heavyweight twice. Ali, Lennox, Evander, Foreman, and a few others would never have lost the second time.

 

he didnt lose though everybody knows he won that fight he lost on a horrible decision