Supposing Eddie Futch had been in Holmes' corner throughout Larry's career

Probably not. He bowed out of the Spinks fights because he trained both guys.

 

A great trainer can be a great asset but Holmes was a great fighter anyway. A great fighter with a great trainer who is matched poorly wont make it. I think great fighters need great matchmaking to fufill their potential just as much as having a great trainer.

 

Well, he was undefeated until Michael Spinks. Tyson and Holyfield were the only two decisive losses of his career.

Inside that undefeated streak though, I don't think the Thyrolar overdose impaired Ali would have lasted as long half as long as he did. Larry applied the undue caution of a former sparring partner through the opening stages of that one. Put Futch in the Holmes corner, and it becomes very one-sided immediately from the opening bell.

Larry Holmes suddenly came of age during an explosive burst off the ropes in the first Shavers fight, as the opening round drew to a close. Put Eddie in charge of his development from the beginning, then Holmes may well have arrived well before turning 28, and taken the undisputed title from Ali as early as 1976. That's rampant speculation though. Larry was a relatively late bloomer.

Ritchie Giachetti was and is a fine trainer. My chief interest in discussing Futch with Holmes concerns fantasy peak for peak match-ups with Ali though, as Eddie understood Muhammad better than any other trainer who ever opposed Ali. (That includes Dundee with Ellis. Angelo wanted Jimmy to win that one very badly.)

 

Futch said Spinks didnt fight the fight plan he laid out for him which was to box and move more and is why he got blown out by Tyson, and insists Spinks wasnt frightened of Tyson.
Ironically that was exactly the fight Holmes attempted to fight under Giachetti, who I agree was and still is a fine trainer.

 

I think that holmes was robbed in the spinks fight also a prime holmes would have beaten a prime ali technically a better boxer and ali didnt have the power to knock him out.

 

WHAT A BUNCH OF ****... THEN ACCORDING TO YOU, HIS ONLY CHANCE WOULD BE TO WIN BY KO.ALWAYS THE SAME CLOWN SAYING THE SAME NONSENSE

 

holmes had great stamina unlike foreman..... also who as in frazier and nortons corner when they smashed ali????

Eddie Futch

 

Eddie never did stay with guys all that long. If he starts with Holmes in 72 or 74, he just leaves earlier. He's not staying on board for 12 years. Something will happen he doesn't approve of. And Some other manager would have offered big money to take over their guy and Eddie goes that route at some point in time.

I like Eddie working with boxers., not just early Holmes. Like maybe Tate, instead of Miller. I Don't think Futch was an optimal choice for Bobick--maybe see how the career of Wells develops with that Futch touch instead of Duane. Or 72 Lyle, not the version he tried later. Or a Weaver. Or perhaps Page/Cooney/ Dokes from that 76-78 amateur program and develop them.

 

This is really pretty rampant speculation.

Holmes and Giachetti, not always placid partners, made music together.

Richie Giachetti can be credited with "discovering" Larry Holmes at Gleason's in 1973, when nobody saw him as anything but a sparring partner.

Giachetti convinced Don King to manage Holmes and this --for better and worse-- put Holmes on the map, on the road to notoriety, if he proved good enough.

Larry himself credits Giachetti with being a very good motivator for him throughout his career. I think Richie's bluster blended well with Holmes' own make-up.

In fact, "the Easton Assassin", the forever perfect moniker for Holmes, was crafted by Giachetti.

Holmes made Holmes. But Giachetti, in my view, did enough to deserve a certificate of merit for an indispensable helping hand.

 

Eddie's primary contribution that I'm aware of was to get Larry to stop telegraphing his right. Previously, Holmes lifted his left leg before launching it, thus tipping off the punch. In peak for peak fantasy matches with Ali, I'd definitely want Futch in Larry's corner as he was in 1982.

Nonetheless, Giachetti is a household name for his association with Holmes, and fully merits the recognition and credit he gets for that participation.

It says something for Larry as a man that he could freely associate with Giachetti and King again after parting ways professionally.

 

Did giachetti ever fight how did he come about training fighters.

 

Futch had something like kryptonite for the older Ali, for sure. But I still see Ali at his peak in a unique zip code in his combination of speed, reflexes, timing, movement, strength, endurance, and, yes, fundamentals. Even the best Larry Holmes was simply no match. This is something Holmes must consider and get off his high horse when fantasizing about tearing up a prime Muhammad Ali.

Friend, I got a bit of a chuckle thinking of Richie Giachetti as a household name!

But your point is what matters: yes, to me Larry Holmes is at heart a decent man with a genuine soft spot. In spite of all Don's "trickerations" and Giachetti's shenanigans, deep down Larry truly seems to appreciate their contributions to his career and --doggone it!-- simply likes the two!

 

He had a brief pro run as a welterweight.

One of Don King's associates, he spotted Larry Holmes sparring for peanuts at Gleason's and finally convinced King to manage Holmes and took over as his trainer.