Larry Holmes is the greatest HW of all time

Avoided too many of the top contenders and never unified...Had a great Jab, one of the best and very good skills but his best wins were Cooney and Shavers most of the others were 10-13 and 14, 15 and 16 fight guys....I would really like to see how he would do against the speedy guys or the real right hand bangers who could follow up. Holmes also never unified...we can say he was older when he moved up in class but in reality Holmes fought Spinks in Mikes 1st Heavyweight fight and Tyson was clearly the best 2-fisted puncher Larry faced....He is great but I have to give him an incomplete in his era...too much navigation around styles and titles...he gave up a title not to fight Greg Page and while Greg had a few excellent fights he was not usually in condition....I give Larry big points for always being in condition and being my favorite fighter of his era but I have to deduct points for his avoidances ...I rate him somewhere in the top 10 but IMO does not qualify for the top 5

 

I tend to take resumes over film.

I honestly think that a person with equal understanding of both eras, would conclude Johnson to have the better resume.

 

Larry Holmes,,,,,

Was damn good !

Took over from a Champion that was called 'The Greatest' and surpassed him.

 

As much as I like Larry Holmes and feel that he is in the upper tier of great heavyweights, there really is no premise for labeling him as the best. For all his admirable efforts, Holmes lacked a truly great rival. While Cooney, Norton and Shavers were certainly respectable opponents, they did not pose the threat that Bowe did to Holyfield, Frazier did to Ali or Walcott did to Louis. In addition, there were some contenders in Holmes' day who went unchallenged.. Belts that remained without unification and historical records that while nearly matched were never broken. Holmes will always be held in high regard by this boxing fan. But next to Muhammad Ali and Joe Louis he will be no more than a respected member among piers.

 

In my opinion, Holmes beat Norton more convincingly than the scorecards suggested.

Don King offered Holmes $2.55 million to fight the No. 1 contender Greg Page, Holmes instead wisely turned to the $3.1 million dollar payday against Frazier. I don't think he ducked Page out of fear of being beaten.

Also, I think Holmes was the most complete heavyweight that ever lived in terms of a package. Ring generalship, speed, boxing ability, jab, durability, ability to fight inside, recovery powers, solid with both hands and a mean uppercut.

He had Ali's long range boxing ability, was more durable than Lewis, was more fluent and less rigid and faster mover on his feet than Louis. His recovery powers in or around his prime were astonishing. His ability to rise and recover from the Shavers knockdown in the rematch is the best I have ever seen. Shavers hit like a ton of bricks and landed as flush as you could possibly get on Holmes.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoGTufCNN7o

The Shavers knockdown.

 

Another way to look at it is, okay who beats a prime Holmes ??

 

Listen up son........... You dont start a post with 'I rate Larry, I really do' like your opinion carry's some sort of extra dimensional worth............... Got it?

 

A prime Holmes has that 'Buster Douglas' like style to beat a prime Tyson. While Holyfield has the heart and mid-range skills to stand and trade with Tyson for long periods. The likes of Ali, Lewis and Holmes have the movement, long range boxing ability, etc, to outbox and frustrate Tyson for long periods.


Holmes takes Tyson into deep waters and drowns him.

 

No

 

I have Holmes in 3rd a half notch below Ali and Louis. He would give anyone a tough night at his peak and beat most.

 

I still don't know how the hell Bert Sugar can have Gene Tunney and Ezzard Charles around 6th to 8th on his list.....And have Larry Holmes at 10 and Lennox Lewis just inside the top 20.

What did Gene Tunney do at heavyweight apart from beat Dempsey twice and defend it a final time againt Tom Heeney.

 

3rd

 

greatest no.. Underrated yes
He should not have lost to Spinks no matter what. And 2 times.