Larry Holmes vs. Duane Bobick - 72' Olympics

I have seen it. The knockdown in the first doesn't look like a real solid shot. Looks like Holmes slipped as much as got hit. As the fight wore on Bobick was too physical for Holmes. Larry looked pretty light at that time to me. Don't know what his weight was for that fight but it certainly doesn't look to be near the 201 lb. limit for a heavyweight.

Bobick advanced and got starched by Teo Stevenson. Bobick looked strong and aggressive but didn't seem to be a big threat to the pro's.

 

In 1972, there was no junior heavyweight/cruiserweight division in amateur boxing. Anyone over 177 lbs. was regarded as a heavyweight back then.

You are correct about Larry being especially thin when he fought Bobick. Holmes was just a fledging at the time, and he hadn't yet packed on the 15 to 20 pounds of muscle that he carried during his peak professional days.

In fact, when Holmes turned pro in 1972, top trainer Gil Clancy declined a chance to manage him. Clancy felt that Holmes was too skinny and that his legs were to thin for him to be able to handle himself against top pros. That was probably the biggest mistake Clancy made in his career.

 

I agree. Holmes looked like he had been knocked over by a baseball bat. It was a great shot by Bobick.

As for why Bobick didn't succeed in the upper ranks of the pro game, it is because on that level, there were many guys who were even bigger, stronger, harder hitting and more durable than Bobick. Bobick was able to outmuscle most pros ranked lower than the top 10, but once inside the top 10, his strength was no big deal in comparison to the competition.

Duane was basically a banger who absorbed punishment in order to land his own punches. Against opposition like Norton, Lyle, Shavers, Knoetze, Tate, etc., he would have needed a tougher chin or a better defense to survive.

 

I can see how it looks like Holmes was cracked pretty good with the right from Bobick, but if you watch closely you can see that Duane throws his jab first then the right which grazes Larry as he rolls with the punch. You can then hear and see Holmes as his feet slip and he tries to regain footing in the corner. (Perhaps water on the canvas from the fighters seconds?) Holmes isn't hurt and comes back after Bobick with some decent combinations. Both Cosell and Ali (doing the commentary) feel Holmes is not shook up. Ali says........Holmes don't look shook up or hurt and Cosell says........perhaps it was that he caught Holmes off balance.

Not for the sake of argument but rather an observation brought to my attention by Larry himself after a chat.

 

For those that haven't

[yt]nQ02-9XUs5w[/yt]

 

Holmes SUBBED for Wells who Flattened Holmes 2 times...Same old story for Holmes (right hand KRYTONITE) but Bobick did not have the power that Wells had.....Ali said its rare to have a good White Heavy...Yet NICK WELLS WAS also White...but it is true of the 70's...as it is today not too many American White Heavy's...Bobick and especially Wells not really trained or managed properly in the PRO"S...Bobick was KO'd by Norton and Kallie Knotzee in the pro's

 

Holmes was still very skilled but Holmes should have listened to the ref he was warned for excessive holding 3 times and was as Ali said shook but the last few right hands

 

That right landed solidly - you can hear the sound of it cracking on Holmes' head. Larry was hurt, but he showed his ability to survive and fight back strong just like he did as a pro. Unfortunately for him, he was hurt enough or tired enough that he felt the need to hold excessively, which got him disqualified. If he wasn't hurt by those shots, he wouldn't have held so much.

 

I watched the film and I can see where you are coming from. It does look like Holmes was off balance to some degree when he was floored. Bobick's right may not have landed perfectly square on Holmes's chin. Still, I think it's a legitimate knockdown.

Holmes was not hurt when knocked down, but later in the bout, he does show signs of being tired and stunned. Bobick might have won by TKO or KO if the referee didn't disqualify Larry.

Whatever the case, the 1972 version of Holmes was a far cry -- physically and in terms of skill -- from the 1977 version which took over the heavyweight division.

My understanding is that Holmes didn't have much boxing experience when he faced Bobick in 1972.

 

larry and those right hands! Lets be thankful for larrys sake he never ran into teofolo stevenson in the amatuers.

 

At least Holmes dind't have to worry about being humiliated by Teo Stevenson had he won.