Larry Holmes Interview

Still sounds on the bitter side I reckon.
I just cannot see either Joe and especially Kenny taking those shots.

 

I agree with Foreman stopping him but even that has its moments.
Ali has the best chance for sure but I think Larrys tendency to trade when he is hurt could see him come right unstuck.

 

I like Larry. He always speaks his mind and has always had great self confidence in his own abilities.

 

Tyson would have been too much at his peak for Frazier and Norton. He hit hard and was too fast and too slick.

 

Anything Holmes say regarding comparing other eras with his own should be taken with a pinch of salt. He's never been the most generous when it comes to handing out compliments to fighters. Aside from himself, that is. Larry loves him some Larry. He's always had a particularly strange obsession with running Lewis down, even more than Tyson. There's an interview knocking about with John Rawling (think it was from 2004, just after Lewis announced his retirement) where Holmes was asked if he felt Lewis was overrated, and his answer was something along the lines of: "What did he do to be rated in the first place? He beat a load of guys he was supposed to be anyway, and then got knocked out by two guys who can't even fight!" Then he had this to say of Lewis in his autobiography: 'He's a joke- a big athletic guy who's strictly a front runner. Put him in against a fighter who stands up to him - like say Ray Mercer did - and Lewis is exposed as a man who doesn't like a real fight. Lennox Lewis is just a heavyweight wanna-be'.

Anyone else remember the 65-year-old Holmes back in 2015 saying that he could come out of retirement and whup Wladimir even then with just a few months training as well?

 

IMO Ali, Foreman, and Holmes all would have stopped Mike in their primes; Ali in 8, Foreman in 2 (at the most), Holmes in 12.

FOTC Frazier might have been knocked down once...but he woudn't stay down and his greater championship heart would put an exhausted, hook-numb Mike away in 11.

Norton is different. Kenny was an ATG, no doubt about that, but his kos by Shavers, Foreman, and Cooney prove Mike would slaughter him. Ken was often amazing against boxers, but the big punchers (especially someone like Mike with his aggressive style) walked through him.

Larry was being charitable to the opponent of his toughest fight. IMO it's testament to the greatness of Ken Norton that he nearly drew with Holmes (the latter had completely dominated and just stopped short of knocking out of Shavers, the man who knocked the living crap out of both Norton and Young and didn't exactly make Ali's day either).

Lewis pre-Steward had a great, near-Foreman level right hand. I didn't even notice he had a left arm until Steward. After that LL was freeking amazing! Great champion...

But Lewis was just the right height for 1980 Larry to land the overhand right. Pre-Steward Lewis gets floored by a perfect overhand in the 8, barely makes the count, and the ref stops it when he looks in LL's eyes.

Now, Steward-era Lewis...that's a fight! Larry would get really irritated with such a tall man with a really good jab. And LL could box with Emmanuel's tutelage as well, so I see Larry heavily depending on the overhand right, getting floored in the 7th (I write that smiling at my fellow Larry fans), but raging back with combinations on a tired Lewis and getting control by the end of the round. Larry takes big time advantage of LL's trying to take a break in the 8th, rocking him hard with the overhand again and again. By the 9th Lewis' jab has disappeared, which means Larry's able to set up the overhand even better. Four straight rights land flush in the 11th and the fight is stopped.

 

Undecided about Tyson v Frazier, my opinion changes daily tbh in who wins!.
It boils down to the first couple of rounds imo. Tyson attacks early and catches Joe, has him that much in trouble, the ref has to stop it. Tyson ko 2.
Or, Frazier somehow survive s the initial onslaught and takes Tyson deep, where he stops him later.
Frazier wrsc 11.
Norton, he's not getting past 2,i really think it's a total blast out here.
Foreman, prime of course, gets involved in a mini war with Tyson but comes out the Victor.
Foreman w ko 5
Ali, Ive gotta say I can never see him pre 1975 losing to Tyson but he d have his hands full until he stops him.
Ali w rsc 11.

 

Larry Holmes gives other fighters too much credit, he's always so shy and bashful about his own accomplishments ...

Bitter old Larry. Hell of a fighter, but he must be a barrel of xxx-tra sour pickles to be around.

 

Yeah, even super-fans know Larry can be difficult. At least half of the boxing people I know think he's top 5 or 6 ATG, so his legacy is assured.

 

Some people ain’t ever going forgive him for saying Marciano couldn’t carry his jockstrap. Now those people who never even knew or saw Marciano fight are the ones that are forever bitter.

 

I make him right...

 

Larry sparred with Frazier as a young man. He remembers Joe breaking his ribs. That's not something that is going to leave your memory that easy.