Larry Holmes - June 11th 1982 - The perfect Heavyweight?

Well it was when you started drinking and, as you haven't stopped since ...

 

You mean being capable of knocking Larry down? I see prime Foreman, Liston, Lewis, Bowe, Tyson, Louis, Marciano, Lyle, Cleve Williams, perhaps Ingo and Baer being capable.

As far as knocking him out...in his prime? I think Louis had the tools to stop him...I don't see anyone knocking him out cold, not at his peak. No.

 

My tongue was half in my cheek. I saw him knocked down a couple of times, so he was defo not averse to being put on his pants during a fight.
But I don’t think Prime LH gets stopped by either KO or TKO by anybody

 

The most perfect HW boxer is Joe Louis. Larry wasn’t anywhere near as well rounded.

 

Usyk of Joshua. Was perfect.

 

Not better than Louis or Ali that’s for sure. And not sure about Lewis or Liston

 

So, talking of " well rounded " methinks the reason he is not seen as the No 1 is due to his shape ! .
You know of what I speak, the peanut head, the bell shaped torso, the shapeless legs, the thick waist, had he been built like, Weaver, Norton,
his slot at the top would have been cemented.
stay safe guys.

 

It's difficult to rank anyone over Louis or Ali, given their social significance. Larry's in the running for #3, but there's a certain British/Canadian/Jamaican who may (very fairly) have something to say about that.

Any lack of recognition for Larry is more due to his lack of top tier power than his lack of an aesthetic physique, imo. Had he generated more spectacular looking knockouts, he'd probably be given his dues by more.

But speaking of Weaver and Holmes, I re-watched Holmes Weaver 2 the other day. Weaver still looked like Weaver. Holmes looked old and fat... and yet, Holmes demolished Weaver anyway.

 

God, if he had pectoral muscles like Cleveland Williams we’d have to ban talking about him.

 

Lol

 

I think it was just as much Larry's ring intelligence as his jab that won him fights. Even Iron Mike said that, though 5 years past his prime Larry was extremely hard to hit flush. Holmes picked up ring maneuvers from Ali (and imo Foreman). He was great at side stepping, pushing his man in and out of position/balance, etc. There are subtleties to his style that can only be fully grasped upon repeat viewings of his fights.

 

Absolutely. I thought he'd lost a teeny bit of snap by Cooney. Nothing game changing but just a little.