Larry Holmes vs George Foreman

Holmes to ride out some hairy moments and win a clear decision or late TKO.

 

I know this'll be the unpopular decision but, Foreman via mid round KO/TKO

 

Nope, it's not unpopular with me, my friend. I like George to muscle him back, then systematically break him down against the ropes

 

George catch him in mid Round

 

I think Paulie Malignaggi wins a close decision

 

Holmes whips him. Beats him to the punch, gives more than he takes, wins all/most rounds until the stoppage, likely between 7-11 rounds.

Foreman's defense just too poor, Holmes too smart to stay in the danger zone.

 

"Down goes Holmes! Down goes Holmes!"

 

I think Holmes. Foreman did well when guys were in front of him, but a guy like Holmes would stop George on cuts or swelling.

 

I used to pick Holmes but I'm not sure Larry rides out the storm that was Foreman. It can't be taken for granted.
Foreman knocks Holmes down inside 3 rounds and Larry gets up a couple of times to be put right back down.
Foreman TKO3.

Holmes never faced anyone like Big George. Larry didn't have Ali's strength. Ali was able to hold his own when they were clinching. I don't think Larry was strong enough. His chin was good not great.
In essence there was only one Ali.

 

I'm in the same boat. Foreman has that extra class to have a much better chance to finish the job that others couldn't. Sure Holmes could win a decision but nowadays i lean toward a Foreman stoppage. Ali's win over him is imo one of the greatest wins in history.

 

Foreman if he doesn't knock them out gets stopped against elites, he isn't at his prime a 12 round fighter. I got Holmes maybe outlasting him then tko'ing him. Young Foreman with old Foremans head/iq I think could be a totally different proposition, but we talking primes

 

Holmes at 29, Foreman at 26.

In the early part of the 1st round Foreman is made to look both fumbly and aggravated while Larry jabs him silly. A few of the jabs make Foreman's head shake mightily, and it's this (plus the way Holmes is moving and making Foreman miss) that wins the round for Larry, with George only having landed solidly with two (admittedly rugged) jabs. Toward the end of the round George finally succeeds in cutting off the ring, but Holmes lands a scared right hand and catches the former off-balance, which makes it appear as if he's staggered (the right was much more fast than heavy). George wasn't hurt, but Holmes wins. A great display of boxing and ring generalship that played out not unlike Shavers-Holmes I.

The second round begins with big George steamrolling out of his corner, while Holmes goes back to moving to his (Larry's) left. Holmes is stepping into and snapping the jab more now. As the round progresses it's apparent that George is pressing the attack significantly more than in the first, but Holmes is now landing combinations, the right hand at one point making George's head wildly spray with sweat (though not stopping his movement). In the middle of the round Larry takes a small breather and goes flat-footed by his own corner, but a half-blocked monster of a left hookercut makes him real anxious to get away from that area. George presses the advantage, but Holmes, obviously having recovered, throws a remarkable, almost-Ali-quick set of combinations. None of the blows have the full weight of Larry behind them, however Foreman has to stall his attack for the moment. George becomes calmer, more patient, landing a couple of fine jabs. Holmes finds the range for a perfect overhand with his full weight behind it right before the bell, staggering Foreman, but the bigger man goes back to his corner looking not bad at all...just more angry and mean.

The third round opens with Holmes changing up the velocity of his punches more (see the Leon Spinks fight), however this necessitates his coming down to earth more than he should. A looping Foreman right catches Larry over an aborted left jab and the latter man's eyes go out of focus. At first Holmes tries to tie up George but the punch is still having its effect, and he falls back into the ropes. Foreman finds himself back in Zaire again, but this time eating heavier (though more desperate) counterpunches than Ali was generally known for. A right uppercut from Foreman staggers Holmes, who holds on for dear life. Foreman just can't find his way out of the clinch and instead pushes Holmes to the floor. Upon getting back up Holmes gets right back in control, landing a four punch combination with two rights getting through and again stopping Foreman's momentum. Foreman wins the round, but Larry is once again in control at the bell.

The fourth round sees Foreman apparently very frustrated and finding it hard to control himself long enough to land a flush punch. He steps up the aggression and throws more punches, the majority of which are parryed, smothered, or slipped by Holmes, who simply takes the fight exactly where he wants it: punching in episodic bursts and then getting back out of the way, keeping the fight in the center of the ring (bad news for George). Holmes is almost always first with the jab (which at this point is both more punishing and heavier than ever, despite the loss of speed compared to the earlier rounds). George takes a different tack, trying to counter while staying pretty much static movement-wise, and getting tied up a lot. in the closing seconds George gets off an out-of-nowhere, huge left uppercut and Holmes staggers against the ropes just as the bell sounds. Holmes isn't looking good on his way back to the stool, while Foreman's chest is way up to burst. Foreman wins this round almost entirely on the strength of how it ended, it was that awesome a punch. Larry looks both super pissed at himself and even a little dazed in his corner.

Fifth round action begins with Holmes being very cautious, neither figher landing much, and Holmes doing a tired-looking half-dance/half-bicycle. In the last third of the round, Larry comes back down to earth so he can get his own heavy shots in. This doesn't turn out well, after a glancing overhand by Holmes George unleashes a right hook that has the former in trouble. The rest of the round George chases Larry while the smaller man finds the motivation to run, run, run, and clinch, shaking his head and looking a bit in awe of what George could do...just one punch! The men go back to their stools the same way as the fourth round. Foreman wins.

In the early part of the sixth round Foreman is still pushing forward but he's simply not getting past the jab, and Larry is following with the right more (though not particularly hard, more concerned with accuracy than power). George is parrying a lot more of Holmes' blows, so Larry adjusts by being more calculated with the jab, only using it when sure of connection and with plenty of snapback and just enough weight to keep George looking like a mummy. The end of the round see Holmes looking like the champion, his ring generalship just owning (and angering) Big George, and a a big overhand right over the latter's failed left hook knocks out the big man's mouthpiece. Holmes' round.

The seventh round has Holmes once again jabbing the hell out of Foreman and moving away. Foreman decides to finally use his jab before the right, and the results are stunning. A ridiculously monstrous right puts Holmes on his back, but Larry gets up at the count of four, shaking his head in anger at himself but looking nowhere near as bad as he should. By the time the count of eight is reached Larry has the same look of grim determination he had through most of his fight with Ken Norton. As George

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comes in Holmes catches him with a Joe Louis-style uppercut barrage that rocks the big man back. Holmes instantly follows up with a slashing overhand right and George is down. He gets up at seven, but Holmes is right on him, measuring with his left and smashing with the right. Foreman stumbles comically into the ropes and Holmes is adding the uppercut to the overhands. The ref stops the fight as Foreman's eyes are out of focus, having no idea where he is.

TKO in the seventh. The reason I don't put the ko later (which Holmes tended to do with great punchers) is because George wouldn't have been able to take a heavier punching boxer for too long...he was able to go as long as he did with Jimmy Young only because Young was mostly speed with comparatively much less power than Holmes (or Ali).

 

Picking big George within five.

 

I can see this.