Let's talk about Larry Holmes

Good post to answer.

I'd pick Larry over Sonny on the basis of speed and mobility. My belief is that the Holmes jab would repeatedly get over first, and the observation was made after Liston/Machen that somebody with mobility and a faster jab might have the edge on Sonny.

Foreman didn't have the kind of speed or punching power Shavers possessed, nor did he have the element of absolute surprise Snipes enjoyed. Even so, the knockdown rounds were the only two rounds either clearly won against Larry in a combined 34 rounds of action. If Larry was in that small ring with Foreman in Kinshasa, he wouldn't have been rope-a-doping on that soft floor surface, but probably suckered George into the corners to school him as he did Mercer. (I'm just going to come right out and state it: The 42 year old version of Holmes who schooled Mercer would have lopsidedly decisioned the 25 year old version of Foreman who Ali knocked out.)

The left hook was never really a particularly useful weapon against Holmes, Larry being slightly more a "sucker for the right," and he didn't give away body shots freely as Ali did. He also had the uppercut necessary to inflict significant damage on Joe as he bored in. Holmes was also a smarter boxer than Muhammad, in my estimation. However, Joe would have put Larry through hell, en route to Holmes winning a close decision.

 

I agree with everything you said here, except maybe the Holmes at 42 vs the Foreman at 25, its a toss up for me.

 

Larry is a top 5 heavy.I would give him a chance to upset Louis, Ali, Marciano, and Frazier.Best performance, probably Cooney.Worst, Snipes.The fight that could have done the most for his legacy was either a fight with Page, or Thomas, or rematches with Williams, and especially, Witherspoon.

 

Holmes was a great fighter, but he should've called it quits after the Smith or Bey fights in 84-85. It's sad to see great fighters go too long and embarrass themselves.

 

probably the most horrible list ever