Phew...okay...here we go

I think he's over rated as well.

Take a look at the ring ratings during his reign and look at who he was fighting.

 

A big hit on Holmes resume is his unwillingness to unify and give rematches IMO.

 

This is incorrect. There, in fact, were mutiple big contenders during Marciano's era.


Joe Louis, 6'2 214lb, ranked # 2 by Ring Magazine in 1951

Bob Baker 6'2 215lb, Ranked # 4 in 1950, # 9 in 1951, # 4 in 1954, and # 2 in 1955

Nino Valdes 6'3 215lb 80" Ranked # 1 in Oct 1953-Feb 1954, # 2 Feb 1954-Aug 1954, #1 Sept 1954-May 1955.

Earl Walls 6'3 200lb Ranked # 5 in 1953 and 1954.

John Holman 6'3 205lb Ranked # 4 in 1955

Coley Wallace 6'3 200lb Ranked # 10 in 1953

Heinz Neuhaus 6'2 210lb Ranked # 8 in 1952 and # 6 in 1954

Rex Layne 6'1 200lb Ranked # 6 in 1950, # 2 in 1952, and # 7 in 1954

Cesar Brion 6'3 200lb Ranked # 7 in 1951

Don Cockell 5'11 210lb Ranked # 2 in 1955

Joe Baski 6'2 220lb Ranked # 8 in 1951

Young Jack Johnson 6'3 210lb Ranked # 9 in 1955

Hurricane Jackson 6'3 195lb 80" Ranked # 8 in 1954 and # 3 in 1955

 

It wasn't that he was unwilling to unify, he was unwilling to unify for the money they were going to give him. He was able to get more money fighting people who were in the lower half of the top 10 than he would have for fighting for another title, and Holmes was always very open about why he fought. Money. He would take whatever fight would give him the most money.

 

Scott Frank? Alfredo Evangelista

You're trying to tell me a unification match wouldn't sell?

 

So, he was unwilling to unify. Why does not matter. Actually, this mnakes it even worse for me. I like Holmes, he is definitly a great hw but that´s something I seriously hate.

 

I got him in my top 10.

6 I think.

 

5 or 6 for me personally. This has been mentioned already but if he had Page, Coetzier, Witherspoon (2), and Weaver (3) on his record it would clearly boost his standing.

 

I agree with you.

I respect a lot of posters who hold a different opinion, and I am well aware thet they are more knowledgable about his career than myself.

I think that he was under rated in his own time and something of an over reaction has set in.

 

#1 for me

 

It would sell, but he was offered more money to fight a guy like Frank than he was for other fights. He was always consistent in what fights he took. It was always the fight he was offered the most money for.

 

He was unwilling to unify when he was getting offered more money to fight somebody like Marvis Frazier. Had he been offered more money to unify than he was to fight a Marvis Frazier or Scott Frank you would have seen Holmes in a fight to unify. I'm not saying it is a good excuse, but it is the reason why he did it. Some people say that he didn't want to unify or ducked this guy or that guy, when in reality he just fought whoever he was offered the most money to fight.

 

Holmes had the best jab I ever saw in a heavyweight

 

Larry Holmes beat far better competition than Jack Johnson did true or false?