Larry Holmes v. Lennox Lewis's opponents?

How would he have fared? :think

 

If at his best I think he beats them all.. I don't however think that Holmes could have gotten by Vitali Klitscko at age 37 the way Lennox did. He'd have to be prime to pull that one off as he didn't have the kind of power to drive Klit back or seriously hurt him like Lewis.

 

-I think he doesn't get KO'd by McCall.
- I also think he wins against Ray Mercer far more convincingly than Lewis did.

.... oh wait, he did both those things when he was a flabby overweight 42-45 year old. :deal

 

:thumbsup

 

Oh yes,

I don't think he loses to anyone until he's 37 and faces Klitschko.

37 y.o. Holyfield has very slim chances against 3 years younger Holmes.

At 29 he beats McCall 120-108 and at 30 he schools Mercer 100-90.

Ruddock, Golota and Bruno pose no challenge for Larry.

 

For openers, I think he would not have gone 47-0.

Holmes was the champion with the least amount of weakness. He was tall and rangy, very fast, could box, had a fantastic chin and the ability to recuperate from a haymaker, and great stamina, and a good punch variety. Mentally tough as well.

BUT, he was not going to blow people away they way Lennox did, and would have been more tough fights. Holmes was over the hill hit the around age 35, and fighting Lewis opposition it would have happened sooner.

My guess is about the same record, maybe one more loss.

 

There are only two or three fighters Lewis blew away that Holmes would not .... Golota, Ruddock, maybe Grant.

Mercer would be an easy fight for Holmes, but was tough for Lewis.

Holmes was comfortably going rounds against inferior opposition.
He couldn't KO Cobb or Berbick but they weren't damaging fights.

 

And Golota and Ruddock also wouldn't be damaging fights for Larry.

Golota hardly can do better than C'oney, whereas Ruddock was too predictable for complete ring general like Holmes.

Larry doesnt have Lewis' size and power, so his fights would last longer, but does Larry take serious punishment against these opponents? Obviously no.

 

Assuming he is fighting them at the same age that LL did, Holmes holds his own against them all until he hits 35, narrowly defeating old tyson and then losing to rahman before rematching for a win, and finally at 37 loses to vitali narrowly and contentiously on points, calling it a day thereupon.

But to be fair, I don't think Holmes fights serious world title fights after age 35, he'd quit before them.

however if we are talking prime holmes in every fight, he finds a way to beat them all. The man was too canny.

 

Tell me please how 35 y.o. Holmes loses to Rahman as 37 y.o. Maskaev KO'd Rahman and was winning the fight at the time of stoppage?

 

I agree.
Good call, Golota would give Holmes a semi-difficult but not too damaging fight.
A 27 or 28 year old Holmes probably schools Ruddock badly. Like he did Shavers the first time.

 

Because hes old for Holmes. At 35 he clearly no longer a world elite.


I mean of course prime Rahman that Lewis fought not the one on a 30something ebb, which I thought was obvious, as this is not a thread called Holmes versus Olegs opponents.

Please tell me why you didn't realise this.

 

It's a bit more than that. Lewis blew Botha away. He blew away Briggs. Morrison was an easy fight for Lewis. The Rahman re-match was an easy fight for Lewis. Briggs in my opinion was blown away.

All of these are longer fights for Holmes. He did not have Lewis power. Not even close. I'm not saying Holmes losses them. I'm saying they are longer and he gets hit more.

Holmes would not beat Vitali past 35 as Lewis managed, and might have lost early in his career to Tucker. If not Tucker there's always a surprise.

I see 42-2 fo Holmes in Lewis 44 fights. About the same record, but with more struggles.

 

Well I think Holmes at 35 had more than enough to outbox Rahman, who was always mediocre in terms of speed and skills.

 

Holmes aint losing to THAT Tucker, Tony got a gift against Orlin Norris and lost his speed significantly by 1993.

The best chances to beat Holmes has Vitali, because it's 37 y.o. Holmes.