Iyo, who stands more the chance of beating Larry Holmes at his finest - Joe Frazier or George Foreman? Smokin Joe, who whipped Ali in FOTC? Or Big George, who ripped the title from the above in 2? Or, could neither man beat him??
If Jimmy Young could knock down and decision Foreman, then Holmes (a better puncher and easily as good a boxer) would stop him in 11 at the latest. Larry would indubitably get knocked down in the middle rounds (when he usually took a break). But come roaring back (as he always did in his prime), and be back in control within a round of the knockdown. George would get floored by the right hand in the 10th or 11th, then dazedly get back up to have Larry unleash his usual avalanche-of-rights until the ref stopped it. So, Holmes over Foreman. Foreman didn't do good against boxers. Now, Frazier...different story. The FOTC Frazier would take horrible punishment and get knocked down by Holmes' uppercut. He'd get lambasted by the jab. But Joe was simply too relentless. He didn't have the kind of right hand that could floor or stop Larry, but his determined aggression and power inside would win him a unanimous decision in probably an even more entertaining fight than even Holmes-Norton. In other words, as great as the actual FOTC was, Frazier-Holmes might have equaled it.
Couldn't agree more. A Raging Joe Frazier gets a decision over Holmes I'd definitely say. I've got Holmes actually stopping George late, after maybe being dropped himself.
Larry would definitely take a few thundering shots from George. But he was a master boxer...I'm thinking of his artful domination of prime Shavers in their first fight during the 70s; the progressively heavier and more vicious jab in 79 (Ocasio's jab knockdown); and his progressively heavier right hand (Evangelista and Shavers II...ouch!). George had big problems with good-to-great boxers (Larry was indubitably great), and with an accurate right hand (Larry's wasn't quite as pinpoint as Young or Ali's but not far from, and overall probably a bit heavier or just as powerful as a sitting-into-it Ali's). George looked bad in that last round against Young, knocked down and oafing like half-drunk stumble-bum. Larry would have already stopped him by then imo. Btw this is coming from a HUGE fan of Larry, George, and Ali. They are my favorites, by far.
Joe beat an under-30 Ali. Larry at 29 was unquestionably in his prime, so I don't think he'd get rocked as hard, and I certainly don't think he'd get knocked down. But Joe would be all over him, and would take the punishment. Unlike FOTC, Joe would get knocked silly by Larry's Bowe-level uppercut. But he'd come back, slapping his gloves together, and get right back on him. The decision for Joe would be tougher than FOTC, closer. But Joe wins unanimously.
Same here, love that eras heavyweight s. But yes, George would struggle with Holmes Jab, it would be the key to winning the fight imo.
