Prime Larry Holmes Vs Prime Joe Frazier???

this fight is a pickem for me.

 

Holmes failed to stop Berbick, Witherspoon or Norton yet he stops Frazier? That seems unlikely.

 

It was a very hard, clean shot that Larry took extremely well. Other were KO'd by the same type of shot, Larry didn't even flinch until he turned his back to go back to the corner. Cooney also hit Larry with a devasting low blow around round 9-12. To be honest I forget exactly which round. But that low blow alone would have destroyed most guys. Norton also had success with Ali's mid section. You call Larry's mid section soft because he didn't have a fancy 6 pac (I assume because thats pretty much the only argument you can make with it).

 

How does Andrew Cooney grab ya?

 

Holmes could take a body shot. Norton was a great body puncher. In fact I think he really hurt Ali in the first fight with body punches. Cooney landed his best hook to the body. Holmes took the blows

 

It's not impossible tho. Frazier gives everything and would never be content to coast or back off like a Berbick or Witherspoon might. There would be few if any quiet rounds vs Frazier, and this can be hell on both Joe and the opponent. Holmes retains his power late quite well. If it gets to the late rounds both combatants would be feeing it i think. Holmes has enormous heart and will just like Ali.

 

It's not really that simple believe it or not.

Unlike those other guys, Frazier had a constant habbit of lunging forward, and in the process could have made himself vulnerable to counter attack or even a vicious uppercut. Holmes had a very potent uppercut, especially when a fighter opted to bully him on the ropes, which I suspect Frazier would try to do. In all reality, I don't see Holmes knocking out or even stopping Frazier, but it could certainly happen in theory.

 

Good point. Also, Berbick had a pretty sturdy jaw, even though Holmes buckled his knee's and hurt him a few times with the right.

 

The way I look at it, Holmes is a slugger at heart, just lacked the power to be an effective one, and happened to have one of the, if not the greatest jabs of all time. IMO this is a lot of times why he would win exchanges and slug outs.

 

good theory but watch Frazier vs Quarry I Joe lands a devasting right hand in one of the early rounds

 

What rounds did Cooney land his absolutely best left hook to the body vs Holmes? I recall a couple of huge low shots, but if you point me to the full power legal blows i'll get the fight out of the cupboard and have a Captain Cook again.

 

I would never write Larry Holmes off completely, but I think a peak Joe Frazier would beat him quite harshly over 12 or 15 rounds.

 

Shavers fight with Ali may have been close but Ali was well past it by that stage. Aside from knocking Holmes down how were Shavers fights with Holmes close?

 

Why not just go over to youtube now? The full fight is on there, ring entrances and all. Cooney landed a hell of a left hook to the body at the end of the 4th.

 

They weren't. An argument could be made for Larry to have won all 12 rounds in the first fight.