muhammad ali vs larry holmes

Holmes by split decision. It would have been an excellent fight, with each fighter having problems with the other's jab. Holmes would have been dancing more than Ali at this point, and both his right hand and jab would have been more effective.

Larry's body punching would have been a factor as well.

 

This says things succinctly. However, Ali 70-74 would have been a far better fight than 75-78. I see Holmes pretty much dominating Ali in the latter years.

A 60s Ali sees Holmes losing a possibly unanimous decision in a really tough, tactical fight. Reverse that in the late 70s....but I see a split decision for Larry in the earlies....

 

I don’t remember Holmes being one of Ali’s sparring partners when I saw him at Deer Lake in 1974. However he was probably there at that time. Holmes did not become known until 2-3 years later so at the time he was just another sparring partner.

 

Some footage of Ali and ‘just another sparring partner’ at Deer Lake in 1974.

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Silly. In 1974 Holmes was completely unknown. It was not until his televised bout with Ibar Arrington that Larry had nationwide exposure and that was several years later.

 

He wasn’t unknown to Ali or those within the fight game. Holmes himself looking back, said that Ali ‘fired’ him after the Foreman fight because he was getting too good for him in camp though I suppose like with quite a few things that Larry says, you probably have to take what he says with a pinch of salt.

 

His first national TV exposure was vs Ibar Arrington on ABC Wide World of Sports. In 1974, once again, he was not anyone of any note. He was an Ali sparring partner, that’s it, whom if I watched them spar I do not remember. Had the sparring session occurred after his bout with Arrington it probably would have been a different story.

 

I love that video. Though they really are just sparring, I think you can at least somewhat picture a real fight between the two at this point in time. Ali was amped up hard for Foreman, and Larry was super young and super hot with his punching.

Again, I realize this is just sparring, but both of them (especially Larry) look terrific. I'd go crazy to find more footage like this. The Greatest and the Third Greatest

 

Holmes beat the 70s version of Ali in my opinion

 

The video was of course just sparring, but Larry certainly didn't look like just a sparring partner there imo. Ali was definitely putting effort forth.

Watching Larry at that point in time, I can see how Ali beat Foreman. Larry was obviously no joke as a sparring partner, so he would have helped any boxer become better imo.

 

I think the great hearts of the two men would come into play, especially the older Ali (we're talking 1980 Holmes I believe).

1980 Holmes vs. 1974 (Foreman-beating) Ali...the only problem is, again, Larry's underpowered hook, which was Ali's Achilles' heel from the get go.

That one punch was always a factor in Ali's losses. In general, Ali could have taken all of Larry's punches. Not just that, but of course Ali would have been profoundly more experienced even then.

The problem for Ali is the jab. Larry's jab was better than anything Ali was throwing in the 70s (60s is an entirely different story). Ali got mega-irritated by guys

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his size or bigger (Holmes too, now that I think about it). And Ali got frustrated when someone outjabbed him in any way shape or form.

It would definitely go to a decision. I see Larry winning a majority (one scorecard possibly a draw). I don't see any knockdowns, though Ali might get in a sneeky right or two (ala Snipes) and accomplish that. Of course, that would only make Larry even more dangerous.

 

I agree, particular with the part that 60s Ali would be a different story.I my view, 60s Ali defeats Holmes by close but UD.

 

Me too, exactly that. Ali would outflash even Shavers I Larry. Not just that...Ali was just incredible back then, just as much if not more of a boxing miracle than late 70s/early 80s Ray Leonard imo.

1980 Larry was such a great fighter...but 60s Ali was a force not matched in boxing before or since.

Again, I really can't see either man going down, unless the anchor punch gets in and then it would only be a brief one for Larry (sometimes I wonder...if any version of Ali knocks down Larry, I think Ali would live to regret it. Larry was tough tough TOUGH after knockdowns...at least until he became a grandpa).

 

I believe Larry was a sparring partner for Frazier prior to Manilla in which Larry fought Rodney Bobick on the undercard.

 

Yes but that was a closed circuit broadcast. His bout with Arrington was his first on national network TV.